Govt yet to pay sh2b to victims of torture in 2008
Oct 16, 2009
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has released its report on the situation of human rights in 2008 indicating a decline in abuse cases reported.
BY JOSEPHINE MASERUKA
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has released its report on the situation of human rights in 2008 indicating a decline in abuse cases reported.
UHRC, which is mandated to investigate, mediate and hold hearings in matters related to human rights abuses, also noted there were many cases against Attorney General, on behalf of public officials and other state agents. And the Government is yet to pay the sh2b in awards given by the commission to victims of human rights abuse.
COMPLAINTS
In the 2008 report, 1,060 complaints were registered, 14 less than in 2007. This, the commission said, was due to the sensitisation of the public on human rights and because regional offices adopted strict admissibility criteria.
Torture cases, which include cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment, even at schools, shifted from the second position in 2007 to the first in 2008 from 254 to 314 complaints.
Torture accounted for 29.6% of the cases reported. Notable among the culprits was the ‘Operation Restore Hope’ that was carried out in Teso region to disarm those illegally possessing firearms, the cordon-search operations in Karamoja region and the poor supervision of lower cadre Police officers, particularly Special Police Constables, who were involved in the arrest of suspects.
Child abuse was second with 22.1% of all complaints recorded. Cchildren’s violations reduced from 256 cases in 2007 to 234. These included failure by parents or guardians to take care of their children, mainly due to laxity and poverty.
The right to personal liberty was third. This included arrests for illegal reasons and being held incommunicado. The violation also covers suspects detained without being charged beyond the legal 48 hours after arrest.
Although complaints about rights to life came fifth, it more than doubled, from 28 cases in 2007 to 63 in 2008.
The 1,060 cases were lodged by 890 complainants with men registering more complaints than women in all regions.
CULPRITS
Private individuals comprised the highest number of culprits, the majority of whom were from the central region (68), followed by Jinja and Soroti with 64 and 56 cases respectively.
The Police followed with 237 complaints up from 228 in 2007. Complaints against the army also increased from 88 in 2007 to 148.
Most criminal complaints were from Mbarara and central. They included child protection, access to justice, property rights, loans, corruption and family issues.
The commission investigated 1,484 complaints. A total of 513 were fully investigated and 1,131 are still under investigation.
Thirty-one cases on torture were finalised and attracted sh439m in awards. This accounted for 74% of total awards.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The report recommended that the Ministry of Justice establish a mechanism, including setting up a compensation fund, to ensure that victims of human rights abuses are compensated promptly.
It also recommends that the Government empowers institutions dealing with child-related issues, such as the Family and Child Protection Unit of the Police, Family and Children’s Court and Local Council courts. This will enable them to address cases of child maintenance and neglect along with other related child rights abuses at the village level.
The report further said the Government should discourage institutional liability for acts of errant public officials so that people do not hide behind their offices to commit violations knowing that the Government will pay.
Finally, it wants the speedy enactment of a law on the prevention of torture, which will punish the perpetrators.
THE Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has released its report on the situation of human rights in 2008 indicating a decline in abuse cases reported.
UHRC, which is mandated to investigate, mediate and hold hearings in matters related to human rights abuses, also noted there were many cases against Attorney General, on behalf of public officials and other state agents. And the Government is yet to pay the sh2b in awards given by the commission to victims of human rights abuse.
COMPLAINTS
In the 2008 report, 1,060 complaints were registered, 14 less than in 2007. This, the commission said, was due to the sensitisation of the public on human rights and because regional offices adopted strict admissibility criteria.
Torture cases, which include cruel and inhuman treatment or punishment, even at schools, shifted from the second position in 2007 to the first in 2008 from 254 to 314 complaints.
Torture accounted for 29.6% of the cases reported. Notable among the culprits was the ‘Operation Restore Hope’ that was carried out in Teso region to disarm those illegally possessing firearms, the cordon-search operations in Karamoja region and the poor supervision of lower cadre Police officers, particularly Special Police Constables, who were involved in the arrest of suspects.
Child abuse was second with 22.1% of all complaints recorded. Cchildren’s violations reduced from 256 cases in 2007 to 234. These included failure by parents or guardians to take care of their children, mainly due to laxity and poverty.
The right to personal liberty was third. This included arrests for illegal reasons and being held incommunicado. The violation also covers suspects detained without being charged beyond the legal 48 hours after arrest.
Although complaints about rights to life came fifth, it more than doubled, from 28 cases in 2007 to 63 in 2008.
The 1,060 cases were lodged by 890 complainants with men registering more complaints than women in all regions.
CULPRITS
Private individuals comprised the highest number of culprits, the majority of whom were from the central region (68), followed by Jinja and Soroti with 64 and 56 cases respectively.
The Police followed with 237 complaints up from 228 in 2007. Complaints against the army also increased from 88 in 2007 to 148.
Most criminal complaints were from Mbarara and central. They included child protection, access to justice, property rights, loans, corruption and family issues.
The commission investigated 1,484 complaints. A total of 513 were fully investigated and 1,131 are still under investigation.
Thirty-one cases on torture were finalised and attracted sh439m in awards. This accounted for 74% of total awards.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The report recommended that the Ministry of Justice establish a mechanism, including setting up a compensation fund, to ensure that victims of human rights abuses are compensated promptly.
It also recommends that the Government empowers institutions dealing with child-related issues, such as the Family and Child Protection Unit of the Police, Family and Children’s Court and Local Council courts. This will enable them to address cases of child maintenance and neglect along with other related child rights abuses at the village level.
The report further said the Government should discourage institutional liability for acts of errant public officials so that people do not hide behind their offices to commit violations knowing that the Government will pay.
Finally, it wants the speedy enactment of a law on the prevention of torture, which will punish the perpetrators.