COVID-19: Defilement on increase in Wakiso district

CRIME   COVID-19

Over 160 defilement cases have been registered in Wakiso district since the coronavirus outbreak.

This was revealed by the district probation officer, Mary Nakazibwe on celebrating the African Child day.

The celebrations were held at Epicenter, Temangalo in Wakiso district and it was attended by few students from the surrounding schools due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Nakazibwe attributed the menace to lack of the required basic needs which the parents are not providing to the girl child and the rampant domestic violence in homes.

She sounded a warning saying that most children are likely to drop out of school due to lack of basic needs.

"Justice systems are not there in Uganda because children are being mistreated in different ways but courts are very far from them," Nakazibwe said.

She added that the first courts would be the village courts but they lack training to handle such issues and instead they act as mediators between the defilement victims and the defilers to see that such cases are settled at village level.

Nakazibwe slammed some parents who think of getting money when their children have been defiled saying its wrong, adding that it leaves the defiled girls with no justice yet their future is dented.

"To make the situation worse, defiled children do not know where to report after the act," she added.

She therefore advised the defiled victims to go to the village vice chairperson who is in charge of children affairs.

Wakiso district vice chair person Betty Naluyima who was the chief guest at the function, pointed out that she got information that many young girls have been impregnated during this period of COVID-19.

Naluyima advised all school going girls in the country to be firm and have self esteem during this period of COVID- 19 so that they go back to school when government opens up.

Naluyima called upon parents to be vigilant and try as much as possible to provide all the basic needs to their children.

"Parents need to befriend their children during this challenging moment so that they (children) open up to them hence attending to their challenges," said Naluyima.

Children shared their experiences about COVID-19 and indeed one realizes that there is a problem which calls for attention.

They said some of their parents separated during the pandemic period due to lack of food in homes, worried to repeat classes and lose of interest for studying.