KAMPALA – A team of detectives from the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit at CID Headquarters in Kampala have arrested Jimmy Walugembe, a 29-year-old teacher at Springfield International School and charged him with aggravated defilement of an 8-year-school girl.
The suspect it is alleged lured the victim into a toilet and acted inappropriately by sexually abusing her. The victim was subjected to medical examination and established to have a ruptured hymen.
The Headteacher of the school, identified as Mutebi Moses, whom it is alleged turned a blind eye and allowed the teacher to remain in the school and continue teaching, was also arrested and a statement obtained from him, being an accessory after the fact of defilement. The file is still with the DPP.
“We want to thank all stakeholders who took interest in this matter and brought it to the attention of the police, after several attempts to compromise the incident, with a written agreement between the three parties of parents, the school and the teacher,” police said in a statement.
“All school administrators should know that parents send their children to school, relying on school employees for their safety and well-beings. They are therefore encouraged to review their school policies and procedures, on sexual abuse and harassment, and further develop collaborative relationships with criminal justice and child welfare agencies, to guard against acts of sexual misconduct in schools,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, police are counselling the victim to help address the emotional and physical injury she could have suffered due to sexual abuse.
