Greedy Father Arrested for Conniving with Stepmother to Marry Off Under Age Daughter

The police in Kyenjojo district are holding a 43-year-old materialistic man who connived with a stepmother to marry off his 16-year-old daughter.

Baram Barugahara, the Minister of State for Youth and Children has identified the suspect as Vianney Ruhuga and the victim only identified as Scovia, a student of Kyebambe Girls Secondary School.

Barugahara said that Ruhuga and his wife (step mother to Scovia) had coughed the girl under immense intimidation to tell authorities that she had got married out of her own wish which was not the fact.

“Contrary to her father’s claims Scovia told Police that she was very much interested in studies and that it was her father and step mother who were forcing her to accept the man they have sourced for her,” he said.

In a swift joint operation led by the Deputy RDC Kyenjojo, Allan Bamuha together with District Crime Intelligence, Police-Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU), the District Probation and Social Welfare Officer, Scovia was able to be evacuated to a safe place under the care of the probation officer.

The alleged “illegal husband” from Ntoroko district is currently on the run as the search for him commenced.

Police have also learnt that Ruhuga married off his other daughters in a similar manner sometime back.

Barugahara has vowed to have all the parents who are violating the rights of the children arrested and prosecuted.

Related