Police in Apac District in Northern Uganda arrested a 40-year-old man arrested for attempting to marry off his 14-year-old daughter.
According to Uganda Monitor, the suspect 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. The arrest followed a tip-off to police by a child rights activist in the area.
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 told this publication.
Mr Sam Opira, the Apac secretary for education and health, condemned the act which he said is becoming common in the district.
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