{UAH} Gang rape victim receiving good care
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7:02 AM |
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On behalf of the NGOs that have offered service and support to the victim of the alleged gang-rape by five Pakistani men, I am writing to correct the misinformation that has been circulating in various media that she was 'dumped' in Mbarara by ActionAid Uganda.
Although we appreciate the concern of the MPs who visited her, it is unfortunate that this happened without approaching the concerned organizations to establish the circumstances in which the relocation was done as this would have led to accurate information about the case. We appreciate the commitment by [Uganda Women's Parliamentary Association] UWOPA to work with us to correct the misperceptions created.
This young lady was not abandoned but was relocated with financial support given to her caretaker, following consultations with her and advice of health practitioners AAU who have been paying for her upkeep since September. FIDA Uganda has monitored and provided legal support for the criminal case against the arrested suspects, including holding brief each time the case is up for mention in court.
Following a meeting of AAU, FIDA Uganda, UWONET and CEDOVIP with UWOPA on Friday December 20, in which the MPs were fully briefed about the status of the case, it was appreciated that the support of AAU had led to significant physical improvement as medically verified. Still it is important to recognize the victim is still affected by trauma, and to respect her need for psychological recovery.
Our interest in this case as NGOs is to support the victim to achieve justice within our resources and competencies. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that ultimately it is the role of the government to protect citizens for it is government that receives public funds in form of taxes.
To this end, the government needs to fix systemic weaknesses in state institutions mandated to ensure justice and improve budget prioritization. More broadly, government should urgently reform the law and practice on sexual offences and rethink its neo-liberalist policies which have resulted in de-regulation of foreign investment, immigration, have reduced protection of workers and labour rights to a bare minimum and de-prioritized social services such as health care, leaving poor persons like this victim reliant on the support of NGOs and well-wishers.
Irene Ovonji-Odida,
CEO, FIDA Uganda.
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