Uganda: Hundreds of Men Jailed for Sex Offences Against Women and Girls

During a month of special court sessions, to clear a backlog of cases hundreds of men in Uganda have been jailed for sexual offences against girls and women. According to the justice, law and order sector, a body that brings together government ministries working on legal matters between two months November and December last year, 414 men and nine women were found guilty during 13 trials held in selected courts in 13 districts around the country. The perpetrators were handed sentences ranging from community service to up to 50 years in jail.
Activists and campaigners have welcomed the convictions, which they described as “decisive action” that sends a strong message. Simon Richard Mugenyi, advocacy and communications manager at Reproductive Health Uganda said “We applaud the gesture of special court sessions on GBV [gender-based violence]. Convicting more than 400 perpetrators is an exciting and welcomed landmark. It’s a massive signal to those who plan to abuse women’s rights. It has been one of the missing links. Therefore, this will go a long away to curb GBV.”
Florence Auma, programme specialist for gender and human rights at the UN population fund in Uganda, said: “The convictions were deterrent enough for those that went through the court process. For those that plea-bargained, the highest penalty was 28 years in prison, including time already served on remand.” The mother of a 12-year-old girl abused by her 35-year-old uncle in the eastern district of Soroti welcomed the decision to sentence the man to 19 years in jail. Specialists said that prosecutions for gender-based violence needed to be handled with greater sensitivity towards survivors.
> Alma Siddiqua