The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Police in the West Nile region have registered 171 defilement cases within the first five months of this year. June had the highest number of defilement cases with 45 girls falling victim. It was followed by March with 29 cases, May with 28, and January with 27, while April and February recorded the lowest figures with 17 and 25 cases, respectively.
Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Region Police spokesperson, explained that a significant number of the cases have been taken to court, while others are still under investigation. She attributed the prevalence of defilement cases in the region to poverty and negative cultural norms that view girls as a means to generate family wealth.
Preliminary findings from the police indicate that boda boda cyclists are the primary perpetrators of defilement cases, particularly in urban areas of the West Nile region. The police noted that these individuals take advantage of underage schoolgirls who are entrusted to their care by parents and instead defile them.
A recent incident occurred on Saturday, July 1, 2023, where a boda boda rider named Isaac Econi allegedly defiled a 15-year-old girl in Ayivu division, Arua city. Elmahad Salim Mawa, the chairperson of the Arua city boda boda association, strongly condemned the actions of errant boda boda cyclists and accused them of tarnishing the industry’s reputation.
He appealed to boda boda cyclists to refrain from engaging in criminal activities.
According to the Penal Code Act, defilement is considered unlawful sexual intercourse with a person below the age of 18. The guilty party, upon conviction, is liable to life imprisonment.
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