Roundup: Rising child sacrifice worries Ugandan authorities
by Ronald Ssekandi
KAMPALA, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A 12-year-old Ugandan girl fell victim of Africa's long practiced witchcraft over the weekend despite of intensified crackdown operation, leaving police and authorities determined to curb the vice across the east African country.
Tudor WatchIn the Saturday murder, Sylvia Kangume of Ntunda Children's Center in the central Ugandan district of Kiboga was found dead with her private parts removed, a replica of the various ritual murders witnessed over the past months.
Her death was followed by another similar incident in Bugiri, central Uganda, of which a three-year-old boy's private part was cut off with a razor blade by a witchdoctor. The boy survived and is under medical treatment here.
Moses Kafeero, the police spokesman for central Uganda told reporters here on Monday that despite efforts to bring culprits to justice, the crime mainly targeting children have continued to rise countrywide.
Police's formation of a 15-man committee to strengthen investigations into the disturbing pattern of child sacrifice is yet to achieve much success.
"Our people still believe in witchcraft, we have talked, many people have been taken to court but the problem is still with us," Kafeero said.
But the revelation of the crimes is more shocking and disturbing that some parents or family relatives have been helping in the murder of their children while police is urging parents to keep closer watch of their children. According to the statistics, 18 suspected ritual murder cases were recorded last year, of which 15 were investigated.
Witchcraft involving child sacrifice is usually practiced for bringing fortune, good health and so on in some African countries. Matia Kasaija, Uganda's state minister for internal affairs recently said that Harry Winston Replica Watch the fight against child sacrifice has been complicated by the increase in other types of crimes targeting children like kidnapping, abduction and child stealing.
According to the interior ministry, there were 230 such cases in 2006 while in 2007 they dropped to 108 but shot up to 318 last year. While the country still ponders what to do to curb the vice, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has suggested that those who are Replica Mulberry handbag convicted of child sacrifice deserved to be executed.
The Cabinet is expected to table a paper in parliament on steps taken, which will be debated by legislators and used for finding a common position. Meanwhile, Christian leaders are in their forty days of fasting and pray in a nationwide campaign against human sacrifice, which is named 'Weeping For Uganda's Children'.
Traditional healers, who many Ugandans blame for the act, going by radio talk shows, have denied the claims and instead joined in the fight against child sacrifice. As Ugandans still await effective measures to be taken, it is believed that almost every week a child is being sacrificed.