Parents held for marrying off girl

Dec 08, 2009

THE Police in Soroti have arrested Adam Mutwalib , along with six suspected accomplices, for marrying off his 14-year-old daughter.They were arrested in Kingandani, a suburb of Soroti Municipality, as they were preparing to receive the husband and hand ov

By James Odongo and Felix Osujo

THE Police in Soroti have arrested Adam Mutwalib , along with six suspected accomplices, for marrying off his 14-year-old daughter.They were arrested in Kingandani, a suburb of Soroti Municipality, as they were preparing to receive the husband and hand over the girl, a pupil of Akisim Primary School.

The would-be-groom from Lira had not arrived yet but his advance party was already at the girl’s home with an assortment of gifts.

The dowry found at the home included two goats, two bags of sugar, boxes of soap, pieces of fabric for gomasi (traditional wear for women), two blankets, half a bag of rice and a suitcase.

The other suspects arrested were identified as Yusuf Adam, the girl’s uncle, Asha Adam, an aunt, Atenyi Katushabe, Hajat Amoi, Mwauzu Shamin and Ramathan Miriam.

Florence Adongo, the officer in charge of the child care and protection unit at Soroti Police station, said she rushed to the village with a security team after a tip-off from Action Against Child Abuse and Neglect, an NGO.

“We found people gathered, dressed in Muslim attire. When the girl saw me in Police uniform, she ran towards me crying bitterly,” Adongo said.

“When I asked her what the problem was, the girl said her parents wanted to marry her off but she did not want. We arrested them immediately.”

The girl (name withheld because she is a minor) told The New Vision her relatives were forcing her to get married to a man she did not know.

“I want to continue with my studies but my father insisted that I first go for marriage and if I get any difficulty, I could always come back home.”

Because she refused, she said, her parents locked her inside the house and deployed people to guard the door to ensure she would not run away.

Adongo said since they arrested the suspects, high-profile Muslims had been lobbying to get the suspects released.

“Since we arrested these people, we have been approached by elite Muslims pleading with us to forgive them. But we are saying: It is not the Police taking them to court but the laws of Uganda.”

The age of consent is 18 according to the Ugandan law. But the girl’s father insists that the Koran allows them to marry off any girl from 15 and above.

George Okwaput of Action Against Child Abuse and Neglect, who escorted the Police, said they found preparations going on at the home.

“We entered the house where we found the girl surrounded by a group of women trying to coerce her to accept. She was crying and jumped up when she saw us with a Police officer.”

According to the Police, the file had been forwarded to the Resident State Attorney to advise on the charges to be brought up against the suspects.

Defilement is a big problem in Soroti, acting Police commander Peter Oduko told The New Vision.

“It accounts for the majority of cases. Every week we take at least 10 defilement suspects to court,” he said.

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