Upon reporting the matter to Kira Road Police, both the children and parents recorded statements and were reportedly asked to contribute Shillings 30,000 for the medical examination.
Police is on the spot for asking parents in Church
Zone village in Kamwokya in Kampala Central Division whose children were allegedly
sodomised to contribute for their medical examination.
At least nine children
are said to have been sodomised by 30-year-old Simon Twesigye, one of the area
residents. He was arrested last week after his 7-year-old victim confessed to
having been severally sexually abused.
Upon reporting the matter to Kira Road Police,
both the children and parents recorded statements and were reportedly asked to contribute Shillings 30,000 for the medical examination.
This is contrary to a directive issued by the Inspector General
of Police, Martins Okoth Ochola in January stopping officers from asking
victims of sexual and gender based crimes for medical examination.
"No Police surgeon or medical officers
should again charge members of the public fees for conducting postmortem and
medical examinations on survivors of sexual crimes," reads the January
3rd, 2018 notice addressed to District and Regional Police Commanders.
70-year-old
Mariam Tokosa, a guardian to one of the victims told URN that she almost gave
up on the matter, since she couldn’t raise the money for the medical examination
of her grandson.
She says residents managed to raise Shillings 15,000 and the area chairman person promised to top it
up.
//Cue in: “Kati, namna bayita abaana…
Cue out:
…abaana mudwalilo.”//
She explained that she handed the money that was
raised by residents to a police officer in the Child and Family Protection Unit
at Kira road police station.
//Cue in: “Nampadde gumukitundu…
Cue out: …kugenda kujanjaba mwana.”//
Annah Tatyambera, a food vendor and neighbor to one the
affected families, disclosed that her colleague didn’t have money and they only
managed to raise Shillings 15,000 for the medical examination.
//Cue in: “Twawulilako bagamba buli…
Cue out: …bakebele musaayi.”//
Stephen Ssemanda alias Mivule, a resident and businessman in
Church Area village, told URN that he is among those who arrested the suspect
as he tried to escape after it was rumored that he was wanted to answer for his
crime.
Ssemanda says all parents were demoralized when
they returned from the police station after they were asked to facilitate the
medical examination of their children.
//Cue in: “Chairman yakola omulimo mulingi nyo…
Cue out: …ate ssente tetuzilina.”//
Ssemanda accused the officers of lack of
transparency and asked government to increase their salaries, which he suspects
could be the reason they ask for such contributions.
//Cue in: “Ekyamazima police yandibadde…
Cue out: …nga era buva mu police.”//
James Kakooza, the LC I chairperson of Church Zone area
confirms that parents were asked to pay for the medical examination of the
victims.
Kakooza says he contributed some money to help the parents to foot the
bill until an unnamed Samaritan.
//Cue in: “Whenever there is a case committed…
Cue out: ...they have nothing to do.”//
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga told URN on
phone that it was wrong for officers at Kira road police station to demand money
for the medical examination from the victim’s families.
//Cue in: “It needs to follow up…
Cue out: …that is required.”//
Enanga also disclosed that police has been
struggling to facilitate police surgeons especially in lower courts to give
expert opinion in defense of their medical reports due to limited funding.
Davidson Ndyabahika
Freelancer