The Territorial Police in Rwenzori West and Fort Portal East division is actively hunting for Ssali Joash,37,a patron to a P.3 pupil aged 9 at Kasisi Day and boarding primary school.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a concerned pupil at the school narrated his ordeal to his mother, after he told her that the patron was allegedly making sexual advances to him and also molesting two other children. The mother informed the head teacher who reported the matter to police and all the three victims were identified by a medical officer before one of them was found positive.
Police further confirms that the victim and two others are already traumatized and are undergoing psychosocial support and the patron who hails from Gezi village Misindika ward Kyenjojo town council Kyenjojo district sexually molested the victim while in the dormitory.
In a separate incident, the police in Kiira region and Jinja city are investigating circumstances under which a 15 year old male juvenile at Jinja College, was attacked by a group of students who tied his mouth with a cloth and tied him to a bed.
Police statement confirms that the naughty students reportedly undressed the victim and pushed a stick into his anus on the 14.06.2023. The victim fell unconscious but was recovered late and rushed to Nile International Hospital, where the stick was removed.
The victim had reported 4 students, involved in acts of alleged sodomy, which led to their suspension. Inquiries into the matter continue.
Police and other authorities have now condemned all forms of sexual violence and torture in schools and the community at large, as human rights defenders call for extensive investigations into all LGBTQIA+ claims without suspects being harassed and targeted.
The escalating cases of alleged sodomy from different parts of Uganda have been evident in the past weeks, following the passage of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality act 2023 which has left lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual-LGBTQIA+ members greatly endangered. Some members of the community have started using the homosexuality claims as a weapon against others. Credit – Cathy Namugelwa.
