The Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, has reinstated aggravated defilement charges against a senior Police officer in Arua involving a nine-month-old baby.

The development comes after the case was closed by the resident chief state attorney of Arua on October 23, citing insufficient evidence.

The accused is Thomas Otim, who is attached to the Police Standards Unit in West Nile region.

Following the closure of the case, the family of the baby complained to the Arua regional office of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"The regional officer called for the case file for review and later the DPP," said ODPP public relations officer Jacquelyn Okui in a statement Saturday.

The baby's mother, Racheal Ninsiima, voiced her sentiments over the initial decision to close the case.

“They claimed I had spent over 24 hours before reporting the case and yet by the time we took the girl to the doctor, he was not at the hospital. But now they are turning around and are saying my girl was not defiled,” she said.

Meanwhile, Okui said the DPP is also investigating circumstances under which the case was closed.

The original case file was Arua CRB 900/2023.

The ODPP said they were "drawn to complaints on social media" regarding the closure of the case.

"Having found the evidence sufficient to sustain the charge of aggravated defilement against the suspect, Thomas Otim, a Police officer, the DPP sanctioned the charge and has been working hand in hand with the Director CID (Criminal Investigations Directorate) to ensure that the suspect is arrested and produced in court," said the statement.

In a letter dated October 24, Richard Okello the head West Nile ODPP, directed the officer in charge of CID at Arua Central Police Station to bring to his office the file so as to address issues raised by the baby's parents.

West Nile Police region spokesperson Josephine Angucia told New Vision on Monday that the resident chief state attorney of Arua advised them to close the case file, saying there was not enough evidence to pin the accused Police officer.

"Basing on the legal advice that we got, we acted accordingly and set the suspect free," said Angucia.

The case was initially handled by detectives from Arua Police barracks on October 9, 2023.

Investigations into the allegation of aggravated defilement were instituted.

Police also conducted a medical examination and recorded relevant statements from the suspect and other witnesses.

Otim, 49, was arrested for alleged aggravated defilement, a crime he allegedly committed on October 9.

The child's father, Dr Charles Madrama, said he was the first respondent on the child’s injury.

A medical doctor, Madrama said he "examined my daughter and there was obvious tear on the girl’s genital organ, but the state attorney says my statement disagrees with the doctors who examined and filed the police forms".

“I disagreed with the view of the state attorney that we trumped up the charges against the suspect," he added.

"He should have behaved like the parent and seen the pain we are going through."