Oustrage as 40-Years old Father Arrested for attempting to marry Off 14-years older Daughter.
The Apac Secretary for education Mr Sam Opira said this is becoming common in the district. According to him, in 2022, authorities in the district broke an intimate relationship between a 13-year-old girl and her 17-year-old boyfriend.
Police in Apac District in Northern Uganda have arrested a 40-years-old man for attempting to marry off his 14-years-old daughter; the incident has sparked outrage and highlighted the prevalence of child marriage in the region.
The suspect, a resident of Bardek “B” Cell, Bung Ward, Atik Division in Apac Municipality was arrested on Women’s Day (March 8) when police stormed his home where the ceremony was being held and rescued his teenage daughter, a primary four pupil. He’s currently detained at Apac Central Police Station as investigations continue, detectives said.
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His arrest followed a tip off to police by a child rights activist in the area as the groom and other people who had gathered to witness the ceremony are said to have fled the scene when police arrived at the suspect’s home.
“We went to the scene but unfortunately we didn’t succeed in arresting the other culprits. We now have the father of the girl and investigations are ongoing. I am cautioning and appealing to people to desist from giving away underage girls who should have been at schools,” the District Police Commander, Mr David Wills Ndaula said.
The Apac Secretary for education Mr Sam Opira said this is becoming common in the district.
According to him, in 2022, authorities in the district broke an intimate relationship between a 13-year-old girl and her 17-year-old boyfriend.
The girl who was in primary five at Okutagwe Primary School in Teboke Sub-county, Apac District, had eloped with a former Primary Seven pupil of the same school.
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