Bukomansimbi district councilor, 30, arrested over defiling 15-year-old girl

Police in Bukomansimbi District in central Uganda are holding a youth councillor who also doubles as a primary school director for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl.
The victim, a senior one student at Bukomansimbi Secondary School told police that the 30-year-old suspect grabbed her and forced her into an incomplete building in Bukomansimbi town where he defiled her at around 8pm Thursday.
The District Police Commander, Mr Sowedi Mansour said they had detained the suspect following the girl’s report.
“We have in our custody Mr Joseph Luwaga, a youth councillor in Bukomansimbi District as we carry out further investigations,” the DPC said.
The victim’s father said his daughter had gone to buy supper in town when the suspect intercepted her.
“She returned home crying and when we asked her what had happened, she told us Luwaga had raped her. We advised her to go to police and report the matter,” he said.
The teen's mother said she was bleeding from her private parts by the time she returned home crying.

“My daughter sustained a lot of injuries in her private parts and she was walking with difficulty,” she said.
The District Investigations Officer, Mr Alfred Akankwasa, said the victim was examined at Butenga Health Centre IV where medics told police in their report that the girl’s hymen had been raptured.
In his statement to police, Luwaga is said to have denied the allegations.
“We cannot force him to say anything against his will despite the fact that the victim continues to point fingers at him. However, we are doing our work as police to get to the bottom of the matter,” Mr Akankwasa said.
He said the girl had been subjected to an HIV test and results turned out negative.
However, the victim’s parents had reportedly been receiving threatening messages asking them to withdraw the case.
A section of local politicians who belong to the same political party as the suspect had reportedly asked the parents to “name their price” so that they settle the case without police or court involvement.
We were, however, unable to independently verify the bribery allegations.