Man arrested for raping 93-yr-old woman

A 32-year-old man identified by police as Stephen Komagum and a resident of Layibi division in Gulu municipality has been arrested for allegedly raping a 93-year-old woman.

Komagum is a Luo name that means "I am lucky". He was re-arrested after being released from Gulu Main Prison one week ago where he spent three years for murder.

The suspect was arrested on Monday morning at the old woman's home in deep sleep.

Komagun who is a resident of Alokolum sub ward, Kirombe parish in Layibi division was charged with rape under CRB 1023/2016.

The officer in charge of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Gulu Central Police Station (CPS) James Asubu told New Vision on Tuesday that Komagum had earlier in the night broken into five huts and stolen household property of the residents within the area.

Asubu said the old woman who sleeps alone in her hut, escaped from Komagun after he fell asleep and called on her grandchildren who quickly came and arrested the suspect.

At the time of the incident residents came and identified all their property and took it back.

"The old woman's cloth and that of the man had blood stains, we have kept them and they will be used as exhibit in court," Asubu said.

Asubu however said, the woman was put on post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent the possibility of getting infected with HIV/AIDS.

Medical reports however indicated that the suspect was HIV negative and did not have any mental disorder.

In 2014 New Vision reported that according to the African Journal of Criminology and Justice findings the re-offender rate in Uganda stood at 32% making it the best on the continent.

It was followed by Zambia at 33%, Rwanda 36% and Kenya and Tanzania 47%.

However the district prisons commander Margret Orik Obonyo who is also in charge of Gulu Main Prison in a recent interview decried the poor funding for rehabilitation programs more so following up those who have been released.