By Hanning Mbabazi
Moroto: Police in Moroto on Saturday 24 August arrested and detained Charles Liko a teacher at Nadunget Primary School in Nadunget Parish, Nadunget Sub county, Moroto District over defilement.
Liko, who was arrested from a drinking centre in Labourline village, Moroto Municipality is accused of defiling a P.2 hungry girl.
It is alleged that Iiko took advantage of his hungry pupil and enticed her with food.
Jude Nasucha, the District Police Commander Moroto, Liko is an alleged serial defiler who is currently serving community service over a defilement case.
He also told this reporter that the suspect who already facing aggravated defilement charges will be produced to court as soon as investigations are complete.
According to the police report, a total of 15,366 defilement cases reported in 2018 of which 11,586 cases were of simple defilement and 3,780 cases were of Aggravated Defilement. Teachers were responsible for over 182 aggravated defilement cases.
Defilement remains one of the common cases in Moroto, something affecting girl-child education in the district and the Karamoja sub-region.
The major suspects include teachers whose prosecution has also been a challenge. Although Police report from Central Police Station in Moroto between 2014 and 2018 implicates eleven government officials on allegations of defilement, only two convictions were secured.
While some people including human rights actors fault police of failing to investigate defilement cases, police, on the other hand claims that there is little support from local government leaders in helping to curb the crime.
In a related story, Police in Mityana on 22 August arrested a teacher for allegedly defiling a ten-year-old girl.
Geoffrey Mugula, 30, is a teacher at Maanyi parents school was arrested on allegations of defiling her student.
The mother of the victim told police that when her daughter broke off for second term holidays, her performance had declined and requested Mugula to offer her private lessons.
The mother said that since the beginning of the week, the victim has been attending lessons at the suspect’s shop. However, on Thursday the girl returned home crying and told the mother that she had been defiled.
According to the Mother, the teacher sent the victim to his house to pick past examination papers. However, he followed the victim and defiled her.
The Wamala Regional Police Spokesperson Norbert Ochom said, the matter which was reported at Maanyi Police station has since been forwarded to the Mityana Police Station for investigations.
“With the minor’s narration, the teacher was arrested and charged with aggravated defilement and soon after the medical report is made, we will have to send him to court for trial,” said Ochom.
Ochom added that police have been holding community meetings and cautioning parents to avoid neglecting their children during the holidays.
