A teacher from St Kizito Nursery and Primary School, located in Lira City, has been detained on charges of aggravated defilement.
The accused, Peter Olupot, was presented before Alison Nasasira, a grade one magistrate, on a Tuesday afternoon where the charges were read to him.
Given the severity of the charges, which are only adjudicated by the High Court, the magistrate did not permit him to enter a plea. Consequently, he was sent to Lira Main Prison until May 14, 2024, when he is scheduled to reappear for case mention.
St Kizito Nursery and Primary School is a private institution founded by the Catholic Church and falls under the jurisdiction of Lira Diocese.
The accused, a father of four in his 30s, was apprehended at The Grill, near the former Akii Bua Stadium, on a Tuesday around 6:30pm. The police lured him there under the pretense of meeting a friend.
The guardian of the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that the teacher took the student from school on a Thursday and brought her to Paradise Lodge in Junior Quarters, Lira City West division.
The guardian went to pick up the girl for Easter holidays on Good Friday but found her missing from school. The girl returned to school later in the day, and upon taking her home, she revealed that the teacher allegedly defiled her at the lodge until around 9:00pm, after which he left her there and went home.
The girl further disclosed that the teacher, a married man with four children, returned the next morning and continued the defilement until the afternoon, when he sent her back to school. The victim informed the guardian that the defilement began in January of that year.
When contacted for a comment, the headteacher of the school stated, “We are addressing the case with the appropriate authorities and aim to resolve it without further traumatizing the child.”