People found guilty of the offense of human sacrifice may now be liable to the death penalty under the Prevention and Prohibition of Human Sacrifice Bill 2021.
This comes after the bill was passed by parliament on Tuesday May 4, 2021.
The Prevention and Prohibition of Human sacrifice Bill, 2020 proposes that persons who mutilate or cause death of another person for the purpose of performing or furthering a ritual, commits an offence.
“Ritual means a religious, traditional or cultural ceremony performed for the purpose of satisfying a belief and a person involved, commits the offense of human sacrifice and is liable, on conviction, to suffer death,” the bill proposes.
The Ayivu County Member of Parliament, Benard Atiku introduced the bill after indicating that human sacrifice cases had attracted a lot of concern from the law enforcement agencies, parents, child rights activists, and the general public.
”Records from the Uganda Police show that human sacrifice cases have been steadily increasing for the last several years worse than murder due to the gruesome way it is performed, Atiku said.
The bill provides for the death penalty for persons that finance other persons to commit offences of human sacrifice.
“A person shall not finance another person, whether directly or indirectly to commit the offence of human sacrifice,” the bill proposes.
Under the bill, possession of human body parts and instruments of human sacrifice will also be an offence.
“A person who unlawfully has in his or her possession human body parts, unlawfully uses human body parts in medicine or concoction, whether for sale, personal use or any other purpose or makes or uses or assists in the making or using or has in his or her possession an instrument used for or associated with human sacrifice, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for life,” the bill adds.
Human sacrifice related cases are currently prosecuted as murder or related offences under the Penal Code Act,meaning the charges amount to murder, manslaughter, or another offence.
The Act also says all the perpetrators of human sacrifice be imprisoned for life and those who injure the victims in the act of sacrifice will be liable to imprisonment for ten years.
It was a unison decision during the debate at parliament with legislators even proposing tougher measures.
”Perpetrators of human sacrifice should be tried in the court martial and put to firing squad if found guilty in order for it to serve as a dettterent to people who get involved in these brutal acts,”Jonam County MP Ongiertho Emmanuel.
Human sacrifice anywhere is a danger to the human race.We condemn it and support legislation to curb it. Criminals involved in human trafficking shamefully reap USD 30M annually and up to 2.4 m people worldwide are affected by this dark practice .’‘David Bahati state Minister for planning indicated.
