MPIGI – Police in Kamengo has in custody a 38-year-old man for allegedly defiling his 7-year-old niece and infecting her with HIV/AIDS.
Identified as Kaweesi Joseph, the suspect is a resident of Lukango village, Kamengo Sub County, Mpigi District.
In a statement dated October 7, Police Spokesperson CP Fred Enanga noted that the suspect will be charged with aggravated defilement from an incident that occurred in 2017.
“The investigation which was as a result of intelligence obtained from a medical facility, which diagnosed the victim, a primary 4 pupils, with HIV/AIDS. Both her parents were examined and found to be HIV negative,” reads an excerpt.
According to CP Enanga, the victim said Mr Kaweesi defiled her on three separate occasions from his gardens at Lukango village.
“She added that the suspect threatened to kill her if she ever revealed the matter to anyone. The matter was, however, brought to the attention of her parents in 2018, who were equally threatened by the suspect, till September 2019, when the intelligence was picked by the police,” he said.
He added that, “On September 26 the suspect was arrested, examined and found HIV positive and on ARV drugs.”
Enanga reminded all parents, guardians and caregivers that known persons including friends and relatives are the number one perpetrators of criminal sexual abuse against children.
“They are therefore advised to closely, watch out for early signs of child sexual abuse and to always come forward early enough and report to the police. For instance, the victim could have been put on PEP treatment and saved from the deadly disease during the first 72 hours,” Enanga noted.
He said the victim is currently undergoing counseling sessions by a team of specialists and has also been put on treatment
Aggravated Defilement is a crime of Capital nature and can carry a sentence of up to life imprisonment if found guilty.
