Kampala, (UG): The Police in Kampala Metropolitan are on a serious hunt for a 56-year-old male lecturer at Kyambogo University over the aggravated defilement of a 16-year-old disabled girl.
The unnamed victim is a student at a secondary school in Mukono District who has a visual impairment and uses glasses to see during the daytime while at night she can’t see completely.
Police spokesperson, SCP Fred Enanga identified the suspect as Dr Eron Lawrence, a senior lecturer at Kyambogo University and a Dean of the Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation on allegations of defilement of the visually impaired minor.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations in coordination with the Kampala Metropolitan Police are seeking the public’s help in locating one, Dr Eron Lawrence, a 56-year-old, senior lecturer at Kyambogo University, Dean of Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation, and also Project Administrator “All we see is a possibility” at Kyambogo University,” Mr Enanga told journalists on Monday, January 22, during the weekly briefing on security at Naguru Police Headquarters.
Mr Enanga explained that Dr Eron, who had earlier been arrested over the same case but released on bond is said to have absconded the police bond on December 14, 2023, and has for the last one month been in hiding.
“…his casefile was sanctioned on December 13, 2023, for the aggravated Defilement of a girl victim, aged 16 years, with a disability, when he is HIV positive and also a person in authority over the victim, C/s 129(3), 4(b), (c) and (d) of the Penal Code Acts,” Mr Enanga explained, adding that the victim was a beneficiary of his “All we see is a possibility“ project”.
DailyExpress has established that the incident in which Dr Eron is accused of defiling the 16-year-old happened when the lecturer travelled as a caretaker of four students including the victim to Nairobi in Kenya for a conference and they returned on October 12 last year.
However, as they travelled back, it is alleged that Dr Eron picked up the car that he had left at the Airport and gave a lift to the students, first dropping two who had come from Gulu University at Namayiba Taxi Park, where they boarded to travel back to Gulu.
“He went on to drop the 3rd student at North Hall, Kyambogo University and remained with the victim, who had a visual impairment, in the car (she can only see during daytime while using glasses, but cannot see at night),” Enanga said, explaining the circumstances under which the girl fell victim of the runaway don.
On the night when the incident happened, Enanga says Dr Eron drove together with the victim from around 10.20 pm, up to Namugongo Nsawo village, Kira municipality.
“It was established that along the way, the victim requested for water, which was bought at a supermarket along Ndagire Road, in Naalya. The victim fell unconscious after taking the water. Upon gaining consciousness, she felt some pain around her private parts and realised she had been sexually assaulted. The sexual assault took place in the car.”
Enanga added the next morning, the victim’s maternal uncle drove her back to her school in Mukono and she revealed her ordeal to the Senior Woman Teacher, who alerted the School Head Teacher and the matter was reported to Mukono police.
The victim was immediately put on post-rape treatment. The DNA samples that were recovered from the suspect’s car, a Toyota Wish, Registration Number UBA 349Z, matched with the samples found on the body of the victim.
This publication understands that investigating officers obtained DNA samples picked from the suspect’s car that matched the specimen samples which were found on the body of the victim, a proof that there was an act of sexual intercourse.
Mr Enanga assured journalists that the CID will continue to work with crime intelligence and other law enforcement partners to locate the suspect and bring closure to the alleged heinous crime. He appealed to the public to come out if there is anyone who has fallen victim to reach out to the CID headquarters for justice to be served.
“We appeal to the public that if you have any information regarding the investigation or believe you may have been victimised, please reach out to the CID Headquarters, KMP Headquarters or call the NOCC on 0776999136,” said Enanga.
“Such incidents of sexual abuse against vulnerable disabled female victims, clearly reveals the dangers they face in the community. We shall ensure the suspect is traced and held accountable for the heinous crime,” he added.
“We shall ensure the suspect is traced and held accountable for the heinous crime,” Enanga added.
Meanwhile, Enanga revealed that the suspect’s three sureties on the absconded bon, who include Olobo Lawrence, 48, Adoch Gertrude and Among Paul, 54, have also been tasked to produce him before the DPC at Jinja Road Police Division.
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