The Sexual Assault Crisis Plaguing Ugandan Schools

Culton Scovia Nakamya in Uganda

Journalist & media entrepreneur

Thursday, 28 November, 2024

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One evening in July 2023, 12 year-old Gloria was watching television with classmates in the hall of her primary school when her teacher called her to the staff room.

He told Gloria that her mother was waiting on the telephone. But once alone in the room, he raped her.

“He started threatening to kill my parents if I didn’t do what he wanted,” said Gloria, who lives in Uganda’s Luweero district.

Confused and in pain, Gloria reported the incident to her mother the next day. Although the suspect was arrested, he was later released on bail pending trial. Gloria’s mother has faced pressure and threats to drop the case from school administrators, the suspect’s colleagues and others.

Fearing for her daughter’s safety, Gloria’s mother moved her to a different school.

“I want them to give me justice. I want the teacher imprisoned until I finish my studies because he might come and kill me,” Gloria told IWPR.

Inadequate Protection

Gloria is just one among hundreds of victims of a crisis plaguing Ugandan schools.

Defilement – the crime of sexually abusing a child – 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 level. But the country’s overburdened justice system struggles to deliver justice, due to lengthy investigations and inadequate protection for victims who are often pressurised 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 such 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 couldn’t 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.”

Gloria received inadequate medical care after her assault– a letter dated July 18 2023 from the Probation and Social Welfare Office in Luweero accused the hospital of failing to administer post-exposure prophylaxis and other necessary treatment, despite medical exams confirming the girl had been raped. Later, she had to seek private treatment for her injuries and an infection.

And the justice system is plagued by delays and poor communication.

“I still don’t know when the hearing will start,” Gloria’s mother said. “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.”

Normalised Harassment

According to Ugandan police statistics, last year saw reports of defilement reach a recent high, with 211 cases compared to 177 in 2019. Most cases involve girls of primary school age, with the majority from underprivileged backgrounds.

Special high court sittings for cases of sexual violence have revealed that the attacks happen during school trips and other extracurricular activities, at study sessions, private tutorials and even in school toilets.

Assaults also sometimes take place in teachers’ homes: poorer girls are often hired to work as domestic cleaners.

“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 maths or English. They don’t know how to behave around children.”

Raising Voices, a child advocacy organisation, has conducted studies that it says 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.

While Uganda’s penal code carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for defilement, convictions are rare. For many victims, pursuing justice is a battle against several obstacles at once: the legal system, prejudice and social inequality.

“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.

Dennis Mugimba, spokesman for the ministry of education and sports, acknowledged that there was an urgent need for intervention and promised that the department would investigate teacher misconduct.

He said 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.”

After Suzan, a 14-year-old pupil in Buikwe district, was raped by her teacher under the pretence of providing private tuition, her parents forced her to marry her abuser.

The suspect, briefly detained at Kiyindi Police Station, was later released after negotiations with the parents. He also paid them a sum of three million Ugandan shillings (789 US dollars).

Suzan’s mother told IWPR 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.

Suzan’s mother said that she lacked the financial means to find a solution for her daughter’s future through the formal justice system, and Namigadde, the probation and child welfare officer, noted that many parents simply had no trust in the courts.

“Many are negative about it. They think they won’t get justice,” she said.

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

Meanwhile, 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.

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

“The education ministry should ensure implementation of all policies,” Ssuubi said. “Cases should be followed up so that learners get justice and also to prevent the continuation of such vices in schools.”

Gloria, now 13, is determined to get justice one way or another: she aspires to study law and fight for a future where defilement is never tolerated.

“My mum has counseled me not to trust any man again,” she said. “I only request that they [the judicial system] don’t play with my case file.

“I want to become a lawyer so I can help girls through these challenges.”

Names have been changed.