Two security guards arrested for defiling 15-year-old girl in Kampala

Violence against children and young women in Uganda
Sexual violence is so common among young girls in Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | URN | Police in Kampala is holding two security guards for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old juvenile along Market Street plaza near Nakasero market in the city centre over the weekend.

Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson has identified the two security guards as Hussein Otyeno attached to Security Group Africa and his colleague Vincent Tazanya of Protectorate-SPC who defiled a fifteen-year-old girl who was selling tea at around 11:00pm.

“She was vending tea and coffee in the night to some of those people who work in markets, but as she approached the two security guards at their posts, they dragged her inside the gate and started defiling her, after which they chased her away onto the streets,” Enanga said.

The helpless victim was rescued by a good Samaritan who found her in bad situation and took her to Nakasero police post, prompting the police patrol to respond and apprehend the two guards.

“These are incidents which clearly reveal how girl children are vulnerable and being targeted by sexual predators out there,” Enanga added. “This is a 15-year-old at 11:00pm even past the curfew, and you find parents or guardians sending this child to work at such a time.”

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Police are on the hunt for the parents or guardians of the victim to be interrogated on why they allow such a child to work at night alone.

Earlier this year in March, police arrested four suspects accused of defiling a 13-year-old girl in Kabojja zone- Kyengera town council in Wakiso district. The suspects included Isaac Mulema, one Matovu and Julius Ogwang.

At least 1,500 children are abused or tortured annually, according to statistics from the Uganda Police Force. However, the convictions of the abusers of children in court are as low as 45 out of 1,500 cases.