Police officers cautioned against child abuse

Police officers have been urged to be exemplary while handling of cases of children abuse by promoting the protection of the children's rights in their families.

The Bukedi regional deputy police Commander Johnson Kiconco said some of the police officers are the leading abusers of the children's rights yet they are key personnel who are supposed shape the future the young Ugandans.

Speaking during the closure of a five-day training for police officers drawn from the six districts of Busia, Tororo, Butaleja, Kibuku, Budaka and Pallisa that make up Bukedi region at Softel hotel in Tororo town, Kiconco urged the officer to evaluate how they'd protect and respect their own children's rights before they handle any other child.

The workshop was organized following increasing cases of death in the region resulting from domestic violence and child abuse.

The workshop that was organized by Plan Uganda in partnership with Tororo local government was aimed at to equipping the police officers with relevant knowledge of how to handle cases of child abuse and the children caught in conflict with the law.

Kiconco said they have received several complaints of how fellow police officers are abusing their children's rights yet they are custodians of the law whom people normally rush to for help.

‘'You are a police officer today because of the good foundation given to you by your parents who protected your rights, we need to be exemplary and help shape this nation in the right direction'' Kiconco said.

Sophie Nambala the regional officer in charge of family and children protection unit warned the police officers especially those in charge of the police posts to stop exploitation and extortion of the communities whom they are supposed to offer free services.

She appealed to the participants to put the knowledge acquired into good practice and ensure that they help suffering children from various sorts of abuse.

The participants pledged to translate the acquired knowledge into practice now that they are knowledgeable enough on matters of child abuse and other related cases of domestic violence.