Man, 31, arrested in Yumbe over defiling 1-year-old niece

A 31-year-old man has been arrested by the police in Yumbe on allegations of defiling his one-year-and-nine-month-old niece.

The suspect, Hamid, a resident of Leinga Central Cell in Barakala Town, Yumbe district, was arrested after the child’s guardian returned home on Sunday, November 16, at around 5 p.m. to find the infant bleeding from her private parts.

According to neighbour Kalisumu Cheka, who had left the child in Hamid’s care while she went to fetch water, the sight of the child’s injuries prompted her to raise an alarm and alert other residents.

The LC I chairperson was subsequently notified and reported the matter to police. He said the suspect attempted to run, which made her sound an alarm.

In a statement, Collins Asea, spokesperson for the North West Nile region police, confirmed the arrest and said a case of aggravated defilement has been registered at Barakala police station under SD Reference 08/16/11/2025.

He said that a medical examination revealed the child had sustained multiple injuries to her private parts. According to the 2024 Annual Crime Report, police recorded 4,072 cases of aggravated defilement, up from 3,846 cases in 2023, representing a 5.7 per cent increase