Men fear reporting being beaten by wives

By Moses Bikala

Majority of men fear reporting their wives to Police after being assaulted for fear of being ridiculed.

Justice Elizabeth Musoke while addressing members of the public at the High Court chambers in Iganga district on Tuesday said domestic violence is done by both men and women but the men would not report cases of being beaten by their wives for fear of being laughed at.

She said some of them have wives who are richer than them and fear reporting being assaulted because they would lose out on the woman's wealth.

"Some of them fear that in case they report their wives to Police they could be thrown out of the houses," said Musoke.

She urged men to come out boldly and report cases of assault by their wives as a way of fighting the increasing cases of domestic violence.

Musoke said some couples even don't know the law against domestic violence exists in Uganda and urged married couples to always learn how to solve domestic issues before they get out of hand.

She said similar meetings are to be organised to sensitise the public on domestic violence laws.

The Iganga district Chief Magistrate Flavia Nabakooza said most people fear approaching judges or magistrates and instead resort to drinking too much alcohol to cover up the frustrations resulting from domestic violence.

She said because some people fear approaching judicial officials, it has contributed to the increasing cases of domestic violence in homes.

"Minor issues that would be handled before they get out of hand result into bigger offenses," said Nabakooza.

She urged men to gain courage and report wives who batter them for necessary legal action.

"We know there are many men out there who are battered every day but they fear reporting them," she said.