Updated 30th Dec 2024

BY: Culton Scovia Nakamya

One evening in July 2023, [Gloria – Not real name] was raped by her teacher.

“We were watching TV in the main hall when he asked someone to call me,” said Gloria, a primary school pupil in Luweero district, 64km north of Uganda’s capital city, Kampala.

The teacher had asked her to come to the staff room, on the pretense that her mother was on the phone for her.

“He started threatening to kill my parents if I didn’t do what he wanted,” said Gloria, trailing off as she recalls the moment her teacher assaulted her.

Once a carefree learner, Gloria – who is now 12 – has been traumatized by her experience. She is just one among hundreds of victims of a crisis plaguing

Ugandan schools. But like many other girls forced to grow up beyond their years after suffering assault at the hands of men meant to protect and mentor them, her ordeal did not stop there.

Confused and in pain, Gloria reported the incident to her mother the following day. She received inadequate medical care. A letter dated July 18, 2023 from the Probation and Social Welfare Office in Luweero accused the hospital of failing to administer PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) and other necessary treatment, despite medical exams confirming the girl had been sexually penetrated. Later, Gloria had to seek private treatment for a torn hymen and an infection.

The suspect, meanwhile, was arrested but later released on bail pending a trial. Her mother has faced intense pressure and threats from school administrators, the suspect’s colleagues and even random individuals, urging her to drop the case.

For fear of her safety Gloria’s mother had to change her school from the privately owned, prestigious one she was attending in Luweero. “I want justice. I want the teacher imprisoned until I finish my studies because he might come and kill me,” Gloria, clearly still traumatized and living in fear, told Her Story.

Problems in the justice system

 Defilement – the crime of sexually abusing a minor – is an all-too-frequent occurrence in Ugandan schools, perpetrated by teachers or other authority figures. Last year, the state recorded more than 200 cases at primary and secondary school levels. But the country’s overburdened justice system struggles to deliver, due to lengthy investigations and inadequate protection for victims, who often come under social pressure to keep quiet.

In 2022, the National Association of Women Judges in Uganda identified a “lack of technical capacity” among police officers as a significant barrier to justice in defilement and sexual violence cases. Human rights lawyer Eria Luyimbaazi Nalukoola, who has handled numerous similar cases, recalls an instance where police issued a fake case number, registering a sexual violence case as a theft. The victim, a young girl, had been assaulted by a teacher at a public school in Kampala.

“The girl was defiled to the point of fainting. When she regained consciousness, there was a boy nearby. The teachers concocted a story that the boy was responsible. When the girl and the boy were examined, the expert concluded that the injuries could not have been inflicted by a child but rather by a man,” he said.

“The parents complained to the Inspectorate of Government and the Directorate of Public Prosecution, only to find that the case number corresponded to a theft case, not defilement. This indicates that the investigating officer and other police officers were trying to sabotage the case.”

Even when cases are pursued by police, delays are common. “I still don’t know when the hearing will start,” says Gloria’s mother. “The court didn’t notify me when the suspect was going to be released on bail, and he hasn’t returned to court despite the pressure and threats I’m facing. “This isn’t about me; it’s about my daughter.”

Defilement in Education Institutions

 According to Ugandan police crime statistics, last year saw reports of defilement reach a new high, with 211 cases compared to 177 in 2019. Girls of primary school age tend to be more commonly affected, and the majority of cases involve victims from underprivileged backgrounds.

▪ 2019: 177 cases (113 primary school, 64 secondary)

▪ 2020: 107 cases (52 primary school, 55 secondary)

▪ 2021: 60 cases (33 primary school, 27 secondary)

▪ 2022: 86 cases (63 primary school, 23 secondary)

▪ 2023: 211 cases (142 primary school, 69 secondary)

Source: Uganda Police Annual Crime Reports

Special high court sittings for cases of sexual violence have revealed that the abuse is often opportunistic. Teachers sexually assault girls during school trips and other extracurricular activities; at evening/morning study sessions or in private tutorials; and in school toilets.

Assaults also sometimes take place in teachers’ homes; poorer girls are often hired to work as domestic cleaners ‘to earn their stay’, or are asked to run errands to predator-teachers’ homes.

“Schools aren’t screening staff to a satisfactory level,” said Joyce Namigadde, Luweero district probation and child welfare officer. “You find schools with so-called teachers who aren’t actually professionals. They haven’t been through training schools; they’re handpicked because they’re good at math or English. They don’t know how to behave around children.”

Raising Voices, a child advocacy organisation, has conducted studies that show teachers have normalised harassment in schools – through making sexualised comments and compliments, or through their choice of teaching examples, particularly in science lessons.

Tabitha Ssuubi, programme director for Raising Voices, told IWPR that even when abuse happens, administrators often cover up the crimes to protect a school’s reputation.

“The culture of silence in our society is a major problem. Sexual violence comes with a lot of shame [and] stigma. We have seen that culture fueling the continuity of sexual violence against learners in general,” said Ssuubi.

Challenges with the Justice System

Uganda’s penal code (as amended) carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for defilement. For many victims, pursuing justice is a battle against the legal system, prejudice, social inequality and a lack of government commitment to fight the vice.

In January 2024, President Yoweri Museveni granted 13 prisoners an early presidential pardon, 11 of them (85%) serving sentences for defilement, causing outrage among child rights and human rights activists.

“Many parents are trapped in poverty. They worry about potential repercussions from wealthy perpetrators and fear being accused of defamation. School authorities often cover up these cases and destroy evidence,” said Nalukoola, the human rights lawyer.

For Suzan – pseudonym – a 14-year-old primary 7 pupil in Buikwe district, 57km East of Kampala, her punctuality led to being sexually abused by her teacher. He lured her to his home under the pretence of providing private early morning tuition.

“She used to be the first student at school,” her mother recalled. “The teacher called her to his home for extra help.” The aftermath was another injustice. The suspect, briefly detained at Kiyindi Police Station, was later released after negotiations with the parents. The girl’s innocence was exchanged for three million Ugandan shillings (646 pound sterling) and a forced marriage. Suzan’s mother told Her Story that since the teacher had “ruined her”, he needed to take responsibility. The parents agreed to the deal on the condition that the perpetrator provide Suzan with skills training.

“When we took our daughter for medical treatment, we learned she was pregnant,” said Suzan’s mother. “As parents, we agreed that she could learn hairdressing, and the man and his parents consented.”

 

The school administration, local authorities and the wider community all turned a blind eye to this illegal exchange. “I couldn’t pursue the legal process because I didn’t have the money to keep following up on the case. You need money to travel to the police station and court, and I didn’t have that,” Suzan’s mother said.

Namigadde, the probation and child welfare officer, noted that many parents give up due to a loss of trust in the justice system. “Many are negative about it. They think they won’t get justice,” she said.

What can be done about this problem?

When questioned, the Ugandan government told Her Story that it recognizes an urgent need for intervention. Dennis Mugimba, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Sports, promised that the department would investigate teacher misconduct.

He claimed that poor communication between schools, districts and national government – as well as a tendency among Ugandans to handle sexual harassment cases with traditional customs, rather than involving the police – hampered efforts to deal with the problem.

“Speak out until you are heard. If school authorities don’t listen, go to your parents, local council, or religious leader,” said Mugimba. “Child defilement and sexual harassment shouldn’t be treated as traditional matters. It’s destroying young people’s futures.”

Mugimba said that a teaching bill currently making its way through parliament could be a game-changer. It aims to establish a national teaching council, which will have the authority to revoke a teacher’s licence if they are found guilty of misconduct.

Ssuubi and Namigadde, the children’s rights defenders, are advocating for a more comprehensive approach to sexual violence. This would include schools implementing sexual harassment policies, banning student access to staff quarters, implementing whistleblowing mechanisms and conducting awareness campaigns.

The pair also argue for exempting defilement cases from Uganda’s slow-moving court session system and fast-tracking the process.

“There is a teacher code of conduct, but this is not enforced. Ministry of education should ensure implementation of all policies. Such cases should be followed up such that learners get justice and also prevent the continuation of

such vices in schools,” said Ssuubi.

Gloria the 13-year-old victim in Luweero is determined to fight for justice. She aspires to study law and fight for a future where defilement can never be tolerated.

“My mum has counseled me not to trust any man again. And I am being careful at my new school. I only request that they don’t play with my file. I want to become a lawyer so I can help girls through these challenges.”