The Police in Najjera, Nakawa Division has arrested 29-year old Penina Kukunda on accusation of torturing a 6-year old boy.
Kukunda locked the child inside a house and reportedly used several objects to torture the boy for reasons neighbour could not understand.
Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said residents of Najjera became concerned over the endless mistreatment of the boy and decided to storm Kukunda’s house, but she locked herself inside.
Police was invited and they convinced Kukunda till she opened the door of her house. “The suspect was talked too and she willingly accepted to open the door and she was arrested. She is currently being detained at Najjera Police Station,” said Onyango.
Locals and Police entered the house and found a boy whose skin was full of scars and fresh wounds. Released images by police show the boy has seemingly been starving for several days.
“The neighbours got concerned and tried to approach her but she locked herself in her room. When Police reached the scene the neighbours had become violent, Police Officers had to carry out community policing to cool down the tempers of the residents,” said Onyango.
Police have preferred charges of torture pending advice from the Resident State Attorney -RSA. It is not yet clear how Kukunda obtained the boy from his parents. Police have also embarked on trying to trace for the actual parents of the boy so that he can be be reunited with his biological family.
Three days ago, CID released statistics of June to September this year showing 32 children have been killed by parents, relatives while others were burnt to death or died due to parental negligence.
Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID registered 1634 cases of child torture in 2018 which was an increase by 234 case compared with 1391 recorded in 2017.
Thirteen child were murdered, five died of negligence, two died in acts of arson and one was kidnapped and murder after parents failed to raise ransom.
