UPDF officer detained on allegations of defilement

Kotido, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF are holding one of their own for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl. The suspect is locked up at Nakapelimoru 405 brigade headquarters in Kotido following his arrest on Thursday.

Major Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd Division spokesperson confirmed the arrest of the suspect, saying that the joint intelligence team was finalizing the investigations to present the suspect before the court to answer charges of defilement. He said the officer allegedly committed the offense on Monday last week in Lokitelaebu, Kotido town council.

“We later learned about the incident through the concerned community members who saw the officer committing a crime. As UPDF, we dont condone search behaviors from our soldiers,” he said. Major Oware however could not reveal the name of the suspect, saying it will jeopardize their investigations.

Patrick Lokut, a resident of Lokitelaebu said the soldier was caught red-handed defiling the victim, a pupil at Kanawat primary school in Kotido municipality.

“It’s unfortunate that our soldiers who are supposed to protect the community and their properties are the same turning around to rape and defile the young Ugandans,” he said.

Betty Nangiro, a child activist in Kotido appealed to the authorities to hand the accused a harsh punishment to act as a deterrent to other soldiers with a similar mind. “All that we know is that UPDF is now a disciplined force but there are some few errant soldiers whom the law should tame properly,” she said.

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