A TOTAL of 203 girls have been defiled in Kumi district in the last seven months, the officer in charge of the child and family protection unit has said.
According to Margaret Adongo, the cases were reported from July 2007 to March 2008, mainly in the sub-counties bordering swamps like Ongino, Kapir, Kobwin and Mukura.
However, she did not explain the connection between the swamps and the defilement cases.
Adongo, who was last week speaking during an interview with The New Vision, attributed the rampant cases to fear of responsibility by parents, polygamy, adultery, unemployment and illiteracy.
The other factors are fear of HIV/AIDS, ignorance of the law on defilement, superiority complex and poverty.
“Some parents believe in the saying: ‘Eat early before you die’. So they marry off their young daughters to be able to enjoy the bride price,” she explained.
Adongo observed that out of the 28 cases that were taken to court, only one suspect was convicted.
She said 14 cases were reported in July, August had 20, September 25, October 26, November 26 and 21 in December 2007. For 2008, she said January had 22 cases, 27 in February and 22 in March.
Some of the children from Oseera and Ongino, Adongo added, were given assistance by Action Aid International.
She blamed the public for abetting the crime because a number of cases were pending due to the fact that complainants and witnesses had not showed up to testify in court against the suspects.
“Parents should educate their children other than wanting easy goods of a cow, three small goats and sh100,000 which the men pay for their young daughters as bride price. This ruins the future of the girls,” Adongo said.
“There are also many unplanned marriages. Many people have multiple spouses and as such fail to look after the children.”
