2,000 girls defiled in seven years

Kamuli. More than 2,397 girls have been defiled in Kamuli District since 2012, a report by police has revealed.
The Busoga North police spokesperson, Mr Michael Kasadha, at the weekend said 276 girls were defiled and 389 cases of domestic violence were reported at Kamuli Central Police Station in 2018.
According to Mr Kasadha, authorities recorded 466 cases of defilement in 2012, 465 cases in 2013 and 345 cases in 2014.
Police recorded 298 defilement cases in 2015, 309 cases in 2016 and 238 cases were registered in 2017.
A total of 1,698 cases of domestic violence have been registered in the district since 2012.

Mr Kasadha said although police has arrested some offenders and charged them, their effort to create an environment in which children and women’s rights are promoted, protected and respected, is being failed by some Local Council leaders handling such cases.
“Defilement has been top of our priority list and we have teamed up with many partners to fight the vice,” he said.
He said some parents report cases but never make a follow-up which makes it hard to curb the vice.
In most cases, Mr Kasadha said, parents engage in negotiations with the accused and lose interest after getting their share of the bargain.

Appeal
The Plan International east and central region programme manager, Mr Patrick Emukule, on behalf of child rights development partners, called for engagement of various stakeholders to end child marriages which he said manifests as defilement.
“Such vices cause trauma, personality disorders and suppress children’s potential for growth and development. We need to drum up support for children to grow up in communities that respect and promote their rights and develop their full potentials,” Mr Emukule said at the weekend.

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