14-year-old girl beaten, stripped by friends over man in viral video kept at police shelter

The victim during questioning moments before her friends pounced on her. Photo Courtesy 

What you need to know:

Kampala metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, ASP Luke Owoyesigyire said their investigations are underway to apprehend the culprits following a police report filed by the mother of the minor who's said to be nursing serious bodily injuries

Police on Tuesday said that they are investigating circumstances under which a 14-year-old girl was flogged and stripped by a group of her friends in Kira Division, Wakiso District following a video footage of the attack that has been widely shared on social media.

In the video that was first posted on TikTok, three girls and a man are seen questioning the victim on allegations that she was trying to 'steal' one of her friends' lover.

One of her friends said to be the lover of the said man is seen slapping the victim before the others joined in the mob attack with sticks as one of them captured on phone, the attack that has been widely condemned, with several lawyers offering to help the girl.

Kampala metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, ASP Luke Owoyesigyire said one of the culprits said to be the  man's lover was arrested following a police report filed by the mother of the minor who's said to be nursing serious bodily injuries.

The case is being handled by police at Kawempe, according to Owoyesigyire who told journalists that the mother of the victim had told detectives that the victim had missing for a while.

"Upon physical examination, we realised that she was in too much pain and she needed to be examined by a surgeon to classify the injuries on her body.  We therefore, agreed with the parents to keep her at our shelter as we await the examination results from the surgeon," ASP Owoyesigyire said, adding that the victim's statement had been recorded and that her attackers are known to her.

It's alleged that on the day she was beaten, she had been called by one of her friends, who's now in custody, to go and help her with something at her home.

"Only to get home and a group of different girls pounced on her, beat her up, and stripped her naked as seen in the video. We have recorded her statement," he said.
According to him, the territorial police of Kawempe will hand over the file to the police in Kira Division, the jurisdiction where the mob attack happened.