ANOTHER MAN ARRESTED OVER DEFILEMENT OF 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN MASINDI

By Innocent Atuganyira
www.mknewslink.com
In Masindi—

Police in Masindi district have arrested a 52-year-old man on allegations of defiling a 12-year-old girl.

The suspect identified as Balikurungi John was arrested on Saturday at his home in Kijura Central Cell Central Division in Masindi Municipality Masindi district.

The trouble for Balikurungi came after buying sandals for the victim after allegedly sleeping with her.

The victim who is a primary four pupil at Masindi Islamic Primary School told our reporter at Masindi Central Police Station that Balikurungi has been persuading her several times and sleeping with her.

She asserted that after cooking and washing his clothes on Saturday, Balikurungi gave her 10,000 shillings to buy sandals.

“This was the fifth time he slept with me, he has been persuading me with different tactics,” she said.
Speaking to this online publication, the victim’s paternal aunt who preferred anonymity said that after interrogating the child, she revealed that Balikurungi gave her 10,000 shillings to buy sandals.
”This prompted me to ask Balikurungi and he confessed giving her money to buy sandals. I was pissed off when the child told me that he has been using her. This forced me to inform the father,” she said.

Mr. James Businge, the victim’s father revealed that he immediately informed the police who arrested the suspect and detained him at Masindi Central Police Station.
”My child was examined and the results indicated that she has been sleeping with a man,” he said.
The Kijura Central Cell Defence Chairperson Zziwa Lawrence attributed such incidents to drug abuse saying that it is on the rise in Kijura trading Centre.
”Most people involved in drug abuse are putting our children’s lives in danger. This vice is on the rise in the area,” he said.
The Albertine Region Police Spokesperson Julius Allan Hakiza confirmed the arrest and said the suspect is detained at Masindi Central Police Station saying the investigations have commenced.

“The case of aggravated defilement under S.D REF No. 56/05/11/2022 has been registered at Masindi Central Police Station,” he added.

Cases of defilement are on increased in Bunyoro region ;On 23rd October 2022, police in Masindi district arrested Mr. Hosea Kiiza the headteacher of St. Kizito Primary School Murro in Bwijanga sub county for allegedly defiling his own two pupils who were boarding.
The 54-year-old head teacher appeared before the Masindi Chief Magistrate Court on 28th October 2022, and was remanded to Masindi Government Prisons until 8th of November 2022 over aggravated defilement.
In October this year, the teacher attached to Masindi Miracle Center Church Primary School went on the run after allegedly defiling a 12-year-old pupil of the school.
The suspect identified as Paddy Kalinka reportedly fled after defiling a primary six pupil whose name has been withheld.
It is alleged that Kalinka used to seduce young girls to have sex with him with the promise of awarding them good marks in his subjects.
The victim told this publication that shortly after night preps, Kalinka grabbed and forced her into a sexual act in the school compound.
On learning of the criminal incident from a fellow parent, Brian Agaba, the father to the victim says he opened up a defilement case against Kalinka at Masindi Central Police Station.
We could not ascertain whether the suspect had been arrested.