6-year-old defiled child found HIV-positive

Thursday, 4th August, 2011	E-mail article   Print article
By Paul Watala A 6-year-old girl who fell victim of a 39-year-old man's sexual appetite has tested HIV-positive. The crime reported in Busasaja Cell in Mbale Municipality's Northern Division was a well hatched plot with the defiler blackmailing his victim to submit to his demands. Mbale district Police chief Jacob Opolot identified the suspect as Patrick Kamba. His vitim whose identity has been withheld is a primary one pupil. Opolot said on Friday (July 29, 2011) Kamba waylaid the young girl near River Namatala when she was coming from school heading to her grandmother’s home at around 12:00. He promised to direct her to her mother. Afterwards, Kamba reportedly accused her of stealing his neighbour’s maize and eggplants and threatened to take her to the Police. He, however, later called some people who knew the child and informed them that she had stolen eggplants and maize. Opolot said Kamba took the child to her parents and demanded for compensation of sh5,000 for having purportedly saved her from falling in the river, but the child’s mother was not at home as she had gone to work. However, when the mother went back home after being called by a neighbour over the alleged theft, she became suspicious. She checked the girl’s private parts and found some fluids coming out. Residents arrested Kamba and handed him over to the Police. The Police referred them to Mbale Hospital, where both the suspect and the victim, were examined and it was found that the girl had been defiled. Kamba and the victim of his act were subjected to a blood test and was found to be HIV-positive. Defilement is rampant in Uganda. According to a 2008 World Bank funded study a total of 4 percent of upper primary school pupils have been defiled by their teachers. The survey conducted by International Development Consultants (IDC) on behalf of the Ministry of Education covered 380 schools in 17 districts in all regions of Uganda. Under the penal law, defilement is defined as the act of having sex with a girl under the age of 18. Following a recent amendment to the law, a convict can be sentenced to death where the victim is infected with HIV/Aids or is of a tender age. Source (New Vision)