By Patrick Jaramogi

CASES of rape and defilement are on the rise in Nebbi district, the Police has said. The district Police commander, Alphonse Musoni, said they receive over 20 defilement and at least three rape cases every month.

“Despite the rise in rape and defilement cases, we sometimes fail to convict the culprits due to lack of support from the victims,” Musoni said during an interview in his office on Friday.

He noted that some cases are not reported to the Police. “The issue needs serious sensitisation. People need to know that rape and defilement are capital offences that cannot be sorted out of court,” he explained.

Musoni hailed the Actionaid Women Won’t Wait trauma treatment centre for forwarding some of the cases they receive to the Police.

Musoni said in 2008, the Police registered 29 cases of defilement and one of rape. This year, between January and May, 28 defilement and three rape cases were recorded.

Margaret Atim, an Actionaid lawyer attached to the centre said: “These victims, at times get too traumatised and can only get some strength to report to the Police after counselling.”

She said the centre had followed up a case of a 37-year-old man, who allegedly defiled a six-year-old girl. The man, working as a mason in the town centre, was arrested and charged in the Nebbi Chief Magistrate’s Court.