BUSHENYI, UGANDA: Police in Bushenyi District, western Uganda are holding a 22-year-old man on allegations of sodomizing a 12-year-old boy from the neighbourhood.
According to the greater Bushenyi police spokesperson Mr Marcial Tumusiime, the suspect (name withheld) is a casual labourer at Nyabwirima cell, Bitooma town council in Bushenyi District and the victim, currently admitted at Comboni Hospital in Kyamuhunga Sub County is a friend to the suspect.
“It is alleged on May 28, 2023, the victim disappeared from home and came back in the evening. He did the same on May 29 and surfaced on June 01 when he was not walking well,” Mr Mtumusiime said on Friday evening.
When asked by her guardian Ms Edinah Ayebazibwe the victim told her that since the time he escaped from home, the suspect took him to his house locked him up and would tell him to bend and he would use his an*s.
“After noticing changes in his usual walking style, I got concerned and asked him what had happened. Because of pain he told me everything and I reported it to the police leading to the suspect’s arrest,” Ms Ayebazibwe said.
She added that the victim was a good friend to the accused and that at the time of the incident, they were harvesting beans together.
The incident follows the arrest of other two people in the area over the same offences. The duo including a former catechist were arrested on allegations of aggravated human trafficking and sodomising a 20-year-old man.
The Police Annual Crime Report of 2022 showed that a total of 12,780 victims were defiled in Uganda, of whom 12,470 were female. The same report indicates that by the end of 2022, a total of 3,620 cases of aggravated defilement were reported to police compared to 3,783 cases reported in 2021, giving a 4.3% decrease.
According to Uganda’s newly signed Anti-Gay Law 2023, offenders of attempted aggravated homosexuality will face 14 years once convicted, the offence of homosexuality will attract 20 years in prison, attempted homosexuality 10 years, recruiting, displaying and distribution of material for same-sex sexual acts 20 years, allowing the use of premises for homosexuality 10 years and other penalties.
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