Pass law against child sacrifice quickly, Parliament told
Jun 18, 2009
MPS have been called upon to quickly enact laws against child sacrifice. The request was made by a local rights’ NGO after children presented a petition to the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, yesterday.
By Mary Karugaba
MPS have been called upon to quickly enact laws against child sacrifice. The request was made by a local rights’ NGO after children presented a petition to the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, yesterday.
The children had marched through the streets of Kampala before going to Parliament. The campaign was organised by Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children.
“We condemn this act, as well as the perpetrators, and ask Parliament to come up with laws criminalising child sacrifice,†the children said in the petition by Ingrid Naiga of Green Hill Academy.
In the petition, also signed by Penny Baziga, the ARC director and Rebecca Lukwago, the MP for Luweero, the children said the perpetrators of the crime were aiming at getting rich quickly.
“Children are the future leaders. Witchdoctors have no right to kill them. When they do so, it means, there would be no leaders and, therefore, no development,†Sharon Kyomuhendo from Mukono Boarding Primary school said.
The children cited Police statistics stating that at least 18 ritual murder cases were reported in 2008, but only 15 had been probed.
They also said close to 3,000 children disappear from home annually, adding that they could have been sacrificed.
The petitioners urged the Government to set up special courts to try perpetrators of the crime and to develop a standard code of conduct for traditional healers.
They also called for the establishment of a unit within the Police Force to check child sacrifice. Kadaga promised to forward the petition to Parliament within two weeks.
MPS have been called upon to quickly enact laws against child sacrifice. The request was made by a local rights’ NGO after children presented a petition to the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, yesterday.
The children had marched through the streets of Kampala before going to Parliament. The campaign was organised by Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) and the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children.
“We condemn this act, as well as the perpetrators, and ask Parliament to come up with laws criminalising child sacrifice,†the children said in the petition by Ingrid Naiga of Green Hill Academy.
In the petition, also signed by Penny Baziga, the ARC director and Rebecca Lukwago, the MP for Luweero, the children said the perpetrators of the crime were aiming at getting rich quickly.
“Children are the future leaders. Witchdoctors have no right to kill them. When they do so, it means, there would be no leaders and, therefore, no development,†Sharon Kyomuhendo from Mukono Boarding Primary school said.
The children cited Police statistics stating that at least 18 ritual murder cases were reported in 2008, but only 15 had been probed.
They also said close to 3,000 children disappear from home annually, adding that they could have been sacrificed.
The petitioners urged the Government to set up special courts to try perpetrators of the crime and to develop a standard code of conduct for traditional healers.
They also called for the establishment of a unit within the Police Force to check child sacrifice. Kadaga promised to forward the petition to Parliament within two weeks.