Idhinda teacher loses teeth, seeks compensation after assault by parent

Bugweri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Joshua Kapere, a teacher at Idhinda primary school in Namalemba sub-county in Bugweri district is seeking compensation from a parent who allegedly assaulted him on Friday last week for allegedly disciplining his child.  Kapere accuses Patrice Tibiita of storming the school and assaulting him for caning her child two strokes of the cane after failing his English homework.

He explains that after punishing the child, he fled from the classroom, only to return an hour later with Tibiita who stormed the classroom in the middle of an ongoing lesson and battered him unsparingly. According to Kapere, he lost a pair of teeth during the scuffle and wants compensation to enable him to foot medical bills and psychological trauma resulting from the incident.

“Tibiita held me by the neck, and slapped my face unsparingly, before forcing me out of the classroom, which has caused me disrespect and gross humiliation in this community,” he said.

The school head teacher, Robert Naabe, says that Kapere is still recieving treatment at Iganga general hospital where he is struggling to foot bills for specialized treatment. According to Naabe, they are consulting private lawyers with the aim of devising means to ensure timely justice for their colleague.

The Busoga East Police Spokesperson, Diana Nandawula says that Tibiita handed himself over to Bugweri central police station, where he is facing two charges of indecent assault and trespass. Nandawula notes that inquiries are ongoing, adding that a team of detectives has been assigned the task of obtaining evidence from probable witnesses.

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