Expert Views

It has emerged that despite the slight drop in defilement cases registered countrywide, children particularly in the 15 to 17 age group continue to be main victims of this gory act.

Statistics from the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report of 2022, released on Wednesday (February 22, 2023) reveal that a total of 12,580 cases of defilement were reported to Police in 2022, compared to 14,436 cases reported in 2021, representing a 12.8% decline.

Of the cases reported to police under the period of review, 8,960 cases were defilement while 3,620 cases were aggravated defilement.

Defilement is considered aggravated if the girl is under the age of 14, the offender has HIV/AIDS, the offender is the victim’s parent or guardian, the girl has a disability or if the offender is a serial offender and it carries a maximum penalty of death, according to Uganda’s Penal Code.

Girls, who constitute the bulk of defilement cases (12, 470) particularly fell victim to defilement due to their adolescent age.

Police records show that girls are mostly taken advantage of in the process of doing domestic chores like collecting water and firewood especially in the rural areas when they are sent alone.

In total, 157 children were defiled by suspects who are HIV positive, while 81 children were defiled by their guardians and 72 children defiled by biological parents.

Dire consequences

If the trends continue, Uganda risks having a generation of abusers and emotionally distressed people.

Children who are exposed to acts such as defilement go through lifelong psychological torture such as fear, lack of confidence and mental disorders like depression and nightmares. They will also perform poorly in school and ultimately have poor relationships with their partners in future.

Delayed justice

However, despite the action taken by police and the judiciary in bringing the perpetrators to book, the justice system remains slow.

For instance, out of the defilement cases reported in 2022, a total of 205 cases have since secured convictions while 4,515 cases are pending in court.

The onus is therefore on us parents and caregivers to play our role in nurturing our children well. We should not be sending our children to distant water points alone because that is where the perpetrator will lure them.

Counselling and treatment

As ChildFund, we acknowledge that survivors of defilement need to be supported through healthcare systems that offer them treatment and counselling which is why we are working with social workers, probation officers and community development officers to facilitate them to respond and make appropriate referrals.

We also build the capacity of child protection actors where we train them with skills on general child protection, case management procedures, case pathways and on how to utilize action centers (SAUTI 116) to report any cases of child abuse.