Health worker arrested for allegedly raping expectant mother

Mparo, Uganda | THE INDEPENENT | Darius Orikiriza, an enrolled nurse at Mparo Health Center IV in Mparo Town Council, Rukiga District is in police custody on allegations of raping an expectant mother. The incident allegedly took place on Monday, August 21, 2023, around 02:00 PM.

The victim, a 20-year-old woman from Maaya village, Kitanga parish, Kashambya sub-county, had visited the facility for a pregnancy checkup and was referred to undergo an ultrasound scan for a diagnosis regarding the status of her pregnancy.

Upon arriving at the scanning area, Orikiriza instructed the victim to undress completely and forcefully had sex with her against her will. The victim’s alarm for help prompted the authorities at the facility to intervene, and the police were immediately alerted.

Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, has confirmed the arrest of Orikiriza. Police and health workers have already collected genital swabs from both the victim and the suspect for further analysis. Orikiriza was also subjected to an HIV test after his arrest, which returned a positive result.

The case has been formally registered at Rukiga police station under file number CRB 361/2023.

Ronah Tweheyo Rwebandaira, the Rukiga District Secretary for Health Services, expressed her dismay at the unprofessional behavior exhibited by a healthcare worker. She revealed that there had been previous complaints against Orikiriza from other mothers, but due to a lack of substantial evidence, their efforts to address the issue had not yielded results.

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