Entebbe, Uganda | URN | Police in Entebbe Municipality have arrested an intern male nurse, Denis Kutesa on allegations of raping female patients at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Luke Owoyesigyire says that Kutesa was picked up on Saturday 18, February 2023 and locked up at Entebbe Central Police Station.
According to police’s preliminary findings, the suspect has been targeting pregnant women who visit the facility.
According to Owoyesigyire, the suspect identified his victim from the gynaecology ward and drugged her with suspected chloroform before raping her.
“Suspected chloroform substances were recovered from his place of residence at the hospital, and a letter was found where he requested to be prayed for immoral thoughts he had been experiencing,” said Owoyesigyire in a statement.
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He invites other victims to come forward, saying that it is possible Kutesa abused other women.
“We urge anyone who may have been a victim to come forward and report to the nearest police station. We take all allegations of sexual assault very seriously, and we are committed to ensuring that justice is served for all victims,” he said.
He noted that the safety and security of patients in hospitals are of utmost importance to the police and we will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
The hospital director, Mr Steven Kyebambe, condemned the alleged act by the intern nurse who has since been arrested.
“As we speak, the culprit has been apprehended and investigations are ongoing. We condemn that act. We have taken measures and assure the public this kind of thing will not appear again in our hospital,” he said.
Entebbe Municipality Mayor Fabrice Rulinda said his office had previously received reports of patients getting raped and molested by some of the workers at the hospital at night, which prompted him to alert security officials that led to the arrest of the suspect.
“We pray that the law takes its course and these women get justice, we are holding the hospital administration accountable to ensure that this kind of act doesn’t happen again. This is a place where our people come to find help not to get hurt,” Mr Rulinda said.
Police also appealed to men to always escort their wives for antenatal care to hospital to avoid such incidents.
What the law says
Article 123 of the Penal Code Act, 1950 states: “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind or by fear of bodily harm, or by means of false representations as to the nature of the act, or in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband, commits the felony termed rape.”
