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Kotido, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Elders in Kotido district have asked the government to compensate juveniles who were tortured and starved at a remand home in Gulu district.
The 21 juveniles who were detained at Gulu remand home are alleged to have been tortured and starved leading to the death of one while others are malnourished due to hunger.
These were part of the suspected cattle raiders that were arrested from Lobanya village in Kapeta and Kamor Sub County respectively during cordon and search operations in Kotido district. They were later transported to Gulu district where crimes were committed to face charges of murder, rape, and theft.
On Monday last week, over 244 suspects who were detained at Patiko government prisons in Gulu district were released, and the 20 juveniles.
John Bosco Akore, the Secretary of Kotido Elder’s Council said that the government should consider compensating the tortured victims because they were not proven guilty but were tortured and starved.
Akore said that the children were taken while healthy and they trusted the remand home as the best place to transform their children.
According to Akore, due to government negligence, each victim should be compensated with eight cows as per their traditional charges.
He also called for the immediate arrest of the officers in charge of Gulu remand home to aid the investigations into the death of one suspect and the mistreatment of their children in the cells.
Edward Ovin, one of the victims who were arrested from Lobanya village said that they were tortured from the remand home and starved due to lack of food.
Ovin said they only used to survive on leaves such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes as a sauce with posho that was poorly processed.
Brian Etuko, the senior probation and welfare officer for Kotido district says that they also received information concerning the death of one juvenile Lomiat Lokomolo who died in the cells.
Etuko revealed that they are still screening the victims thoroughly eight have confirmed to be infected with TB, five with malaria and others were weak due to lack of food.
He said as a district, they are concerned to know the circumstances under which the juveniles were starved.
In September 2022, the security forces rounded up about 300 suspected cattle raiders who were accused of terrorizing people in the districts of Lango and Acholi regions.
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