Joshua Wandegeya, an educator employed at White Rose Junior School in Mafubira, Jinja City, has been taken into police custody on charges of defiling a six-year-old student from the same school.
The Kiira Police spokesperson, James Mubi, confirmed the teacher’s arrest and stated that the incident occurred on Thursday. Wandegeya, who taught Mathematics and English to primary three and four classes, was apprehended while in the act of molesting the young child.
Mubi informed the public that the police are currently gathering information to conduct a thorough investigation before presenting the accused in court for legal proceedings.
Notably, the suspect is related to the school’s owner and happens to be his brother-in-law, which has raised concerns about impartiality in the case.
Unfortunately, the area of Kiira has been experiencing a disturbing rise in defilement cases. In 2021, 41 aggravated defilement cases, 122 simple defilement cases, and 17 rape cases were reported. The numbers increased in 2022, with 45 aggravated defilement cases, 67 simple defilement cases, and 35 rape cases reported.
James Mubi expressed concern over the surge in gender-based violence incidents and attributed it, in part, to the failure or reluctance of parents to appear in court as witnesses when required. He strongly urged parents and guardians to refrain from settling such heinous crimes outside the legal system, as this goes against the laws of Uganda.
Mubi emphasized that the police are always ready to receive and handle such cases promptly and without intimidation, urging the public to report such incidents on time for swift action and justice.
