Katwe Police Station have arrested Zura Mukamana, 36, a mother who allegedly hired out her 14-year-old daughter for sex to two different men.
One of the suspects, Fred Bulega , 41 , who is alleged to have had sexual intercourse with the girl, was also arrested.
The arrest of Mukamana followed a viral video received by Police, in which a 14-year-old girl claimed that she was being forced by her mother to have sexual intercourses with men.
Before the viral video, Mukamana had reported to police a case of disappearance of her daughter at Salaama Police Station, compelling detectives to start investigations.
The girl was later recovered from her father’s home where she had run for refuge.
“The father took the girl to police and investigations led to the arrest of the second man-John Mwesigye ,18 , who is said to have had sexual intercourse with the girl. Mwesigye has since been charged and remanded on offence defilement,” said Deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Luke Owoyesigire.
Bulega, who is also alleged to have defiled the girl, is still in detention as investigations and medical examination continue.
Owoyesigire said both case files with a range of offences will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecution for perusal and sanctioning as soon as investigations are done.
“We thank the girl for standing for her human rights and for reporting a criminal case to police as the Constitution tasks every citizen to do,” he said.
Three in four young adults in Uganda have experienced some form of violence during their childhood, according to Uganda’s first ever Violence Against Children Survey released in 2018.
Among 18-24 year olds, 1 in 3 females (35%) and one in six males (17%) experienced sexual abuse during their childhood
1 in 4 young adults who experienced sexual abuse during childhood first experienced it at the age of 13 or younger
The report showed children who suffered sexual abuse experienced higher mental distress than children who didn’t.
“We, as police, condemn any form of child rights abuse and ask the public, to report any case of sexual abuse they encounter in their homes to relevant authorities,” said Owoyesigire.
The girl has since been handed over to the father as investigations go on .
Police said it would work with different agencies to provide counseling for the victim.
