The Uganda Human Rights Commission has recorded a rise in sexual offenses, with 14,846 cases reported countrywide in 2023, including 12,771 defilement cases.

The Uganda Human Rights Commission has recorded a rise in sexual offenses, with 14,846 cases reported countrywide in 2023, including 12,771 defilement cases.

The perpetrators were mostly male adults, parents, guardians, and teachers. This represents an increase of 153 cases from the 14,693 sexual offenses reported in 2022.

According to Commission’s  Chairperson Mariam Wangadya, out of the 14,846 cases, 6,395 were taken to court, 2,790 did not proceed, and 5,661 are still under investigation.

The report also showed that 1,015 cases resulted in convictions, 45 were acquitted, 463 were dismissed, and 4,872 are still pending in courts of law.

Although Wangadya noted a decrease in registered sexual offenses since 2019, when 15,636 cases were reported, compared to 14,846 in 2023, the commission remains concerned about the high number of sexual offenses committed in the country.

SB Wangadya-SexualCases