The school director suspected of defiling six Primary Seven candidates in Luweero District is now hospitalized under police supervision after collapsing in his cell.
According to the police, the suspect was transferred to Mulago Hospital on Sunday evening from Luweero Hospital, where he fainted while in custody at Luweero Central Police Station. He had been held since his arrest on October 29.
Mr. Sam Twineamazima, the regional police spokesperson, clarified that the suspect was not granted police bond but rather referred to Mulago Hospital when he became unwell at Luweero Hospital.
The exact nature of his ailment remains undisclosed, but witnesses at the police station reported that the suspect collapsed and was paralyzed before being taken to Luweero Hospital.
This case has sparked a discussion about the safety of children under the care of certain educational institutions with questionable administrative setups.
Ms. Anna Mary Namatovu, a retired teacher and resident of Luweero Town Council, expressed concern that the school in question lacks dedicated dormitory facilities for the children.
She mentioned, “The information we have is that the children share the same building with the school director. This is very dangerous. Authorities in Luweero should inspect the school and inquire about how it operates a boarding section without proper dormitory facilities.”
Although the school is not a registered Uneb center, it has been discovered that the candidates were registered at one of the UPE schools in Luweero Sub-county.
In another incident, the police in Luweero District are searching for a woman accused of defiling an 11-year-old boy on November 4 in Namaliga East Zone, Bombo Town Council. The woman, known to the victim, intercepted him as he was catching grasshoppers and lured him to her home, where she threatened him and then sexually assaulted him.
The victim reported the incident to his parents, who took him to a nearby facility, and subsequently, the case was reported to the police. Such incidents are rarely reported in the area, and some are resolved at the community level as victims are often compromised not to report.
The recently released Annual Police Crime Report for 2022 indicates that Luweero Police Station registered the highest number of crimes in the country at 1,261 cases, followed by Old Kampala Police Division at 1,201 cases.
Luweero District ranks second in reported crimes related to domestic violence, with 501 cases, following Kiryandongo District with 520 cases.
Luweero also tops the list of districts with a high incidence of child crime in the country. The rise in crime cases is attributed to the reopening of the economy following the Covid-19 lockdown, as stated by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Martins Okoth-Ochola, during the release of the 2022 annual crime report. In 2022, 231,653 cases were recorded, compared to 196,081 cases in 2021.
