Police in Kampala have arrested the parents to a 16-year -old girl primary six pupil who was married off to a Portuguese national on Wednesday in exchange for a 2 bedroomed house.
Carols Almeida Da-Costa was picked up and detained on Wednesday after residents of Busibante in Najjera in Kira Municipality tipped off Kira Division Police that he was living with a teenager as his wife.
Police swung into action storming into Almeida’s home only to find the teenager inside his bedroom.
He was immediately arrested and charged with aggravated defilement.
Now in a twist of events, Almeida who insists he lawfully married the minor has presented to police a marital agreement which also involves an offer of a 3 bedroomed house to her parents.
Police say the shameless couple decided to give away their daughter because according to them she was already a woman fit for marriage and not primary school.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, says the document has signatures of the teenager’s parents, Yoram Betamu and his wife, Josephine Twongirwe, both residents of Najjera.
Police say the couple and Almeida will appear in court once investigations are finalized.
This is just one of the thousands of such cases experienced in Uganda, last year alone the Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID registered more than 13,000 victims of defilement.
Police attribute the problem to the belief by parents that the girls are overgrown and force them into marriage.
