LIRA- A teacher of St Kizito Nursery and Primary School in Lira City has been remanded to prison on allegations of aggravated defilement.

Peter Olupot appeared before grade one magistrate Alison Nasasira on Tuesday afternoon and the charge was read to him.

The magistrate could not allow him to take plea as the case is of capital nature only triable by the High Court. He was, therefore, remanded to Lira Main Prison till May 14, 2024, when he will reappear for mention of the case.

 St Kizito Nursery and Primary School is a Catholic-founded private School under Lira Diocese.

The teacher, who is a father of four said to be in his 30s, was picked from The Grill near former Akii Bua Stadium on Tuesday at about 6:30pm after Police tricked him into going and meeting a friend.

According to the guardian of the victim, the teacher took the pupil from school on Thursday and took her to Paradise Lodge located in Junior Quarters, Lira City West division.

The guardian, who declined to be identified by name, said she went to collect the girl for Easter holidays on Good Friday but did not find her at school.

The girl returned to school in the afternoon and when she took her home, she revealed that the teacher allegedly took her to the lodge, defiled her until around 9:00pm and went to his home leaving her in the lodge.

She disclosed further that the teacher, who is a married man with four children, returned in the morning and defiled her until afternoon when he sent her back to school.

The victim told the guardian that the teacher started defiling her in January this year.

The headteacher of the school when contacted for a comment said: "We are handling the case with the right people and we intend to make it get done without exposing the child”.

Defilement cases still high

Defilement remains rampant in the country according to the Police Annual Crime Report.

A total of 12,771 cases of Defilement were reported to Police in 2023, compared to 12,580 in 2022. Aggravated defilement cases totalled 14,436  in 2021, 3,620 and 3,846 in 2022 and 2023 respectively were .

In 2023, a total of 13,144 girls and boys were defiled, of whom, 12,818 were female and 326 were male.