KIKUUBE, UGANDA: Police in Kikuube district have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly defiling an 8-year-old girl.
The suspect has been identified as Milton Sunday, a resident of Nyairongo village in Kaseeta Parish, Kabwoya sub county. He was arrested on Saturday.
It is alleged that on Saturday morning at around 9 am, Sunday raided the home of the victim as her parents were away in the garden and convinced her to follow him in a nearby bush where he defiled her from.
Desire Nkurunziza, the area LCI chairperson told Uganda Radio Network in an interview on Sunday that area residents heard the minor screaming for help.
The situation attracted hundreds of area residents who rushed to find out what was happening to the girl only to find Sunday red-handed defiling the girl.
He was arrested by the residents who later handed him over to Kikuube police.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson has confirmed the matter adding that investigations into the matter have commenced.
He says both the suspect and the minor will be subjected to a medical check to ascertain the status of the suspect whether he is HIV positive.
According to Hakiza, once investigations are complete, the suspect will be arraigned before court to be charged with aggravated defilement. He has further urged the public to be vigilant and jealously protect the children.
The case comes at a time when the Bunyoro sub-region is generally battling with both defilement and teen pregnancy cases.
In September last year, authorities in Kibaale district reported that they had registered a surge in teen pregnancies with more than 6,000 cases reported between July 2020 and August 2021.
Statistics from the health, education, probation, and social welfare departments show that from July 2020 to August 2021, 6,440 girls aged between 15 and 19 years were reported pregnant in the district.
The records indicate that Kibaale town council is the most affected with 2,041 teenage pregnancies while the sub-counties of Nyamarwa and Mugarama came second and third with 877 and 822 cases respectively.
Other affected sub-counties are Matale with 796 cases, Kyebando with 719 cases, Kasimbi with 421 cases, Bubango with 415 cases, Nyamarunda with 199 cases, Kabasekende with 84 cases and Karama with 73 cases among others.
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