By Flavia Ajok
Police in Masindi are holding Eric Bagajire, 36, a resident of Kirasa cell in Masindi Municipality, for fabricating his daughter’s defilement and providing false information to the police.
Bagajire had reported to Masindi police on June 10th, 2023, claiming that his 13-year-old daughter, a primary four pupil at Masindi Army Primary School, had been grabbed and defiled by Vincent Katwesige, 23, an inmate from Masindi Prison.
He alleged that Katwesige, who was on remand for defilement charges, had taken his daughter to an unfinished house near the prison and sexually assaulted her.
However, suspicions arose when medical examinations conducted by the police and Masindi General Hospital yielded negative results, indicating no signs of penetration or defilement.
Further investigations and interrogations revealed that Bagajire had coerced his daughter into falsely claiming that she had been defiled by Katwesige.
Realizing that the police had uncovered the truth, Bagajire went into hiding but was later apprehended from his hideout in Masindi town, according to Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson. He says that the suspect is in custody at Masindi Central Police Station.
According to Hakiza, during interrogations, Bagajire admitted to providing false information to the police and requested forgiveness.
He says that Bagajire disclosed that he had collected blood from slaughtered animals at a nearby abattoir and applied it to his daughter’s private parts to create the illusion of defilement.
According to Hakiza, Bagajire will face charges of giving false information to the police once investigations are complete.
