Aggravated defilement: West Nile police boss release over lack of evidence 

The head of the police’s professional standards unit (PSU) in West Nile region, Thomas Otim has been released due to lack of sufficient evidence to implicate him in aggravated defilement.

Otim was locked up at Arua Central police station on Tuesday last week for allegedly defiling a one-year-and-nine-month-old girl. The girl is a daughter to his neighbour, Dr Charles Madrama, the West Nile regional police surgeon, who is stationed at Arua central police barracks. The alleged incident took place on October 9 inside the barracks.

Josephine Angucia, the West Nile police spokesperson, says that Otim was released from Arua police cells on Monday. She says that the decision came after the resident state attorney advised that the case file be closed due to insufficient evidence when it was forwarded for perusal and legal advice.

Preliminary reports suggested that Otim, who resides near the victim’s family, lured the minor to his house while she was with her mother, Rachel Nsiima. Nsiima later reported the matter to the police. In her statement, Nsiima explained that Otim called the girl twice before physically taking her to his house.

Subsequently, they heard the girl scream, which prompted her elder brother to intervene. According to Nsiima’s statement, Otim initially refused to return the girl, taking her to a nearby kiosk where he purchased drinks for her before letting her go back. 

However, she explained that upon returning home, the minor began crying and indicated that “Uncle” Otim had harmed her. Consequently, an investigation into the allegation was launched under Arua CBD CRB 900/2023, and medical examinations were conducted on both the suspect and the victim.