GhLinks Media
A 16-year-old senior two student in Bududa District, Uganda, was waylaid and attacked by, Derrick Kuloba, a machete-wielding man who cut off her hand after she resisted his attempt to rape her.
According to her, the rapist, Derrick Kuloba attacked her on a road near a forest when running an errand for her sick mother.
“He (Kuloba) started ordering me to undress and when I refused he pulled out a machete and started cutting me. He wanted to cut my head but I tried to guard it with my right hand,” she told the court during hearing of a case in which Mr Kuloba is accused of attempted murder.
She said she raised an alarm to get help but it was in vain, adding that she’s still experiencing a lot of pain
The victim accused police and Mbale Court of trying to frustrate her case because suspect Kuloba was released under unclear circumstances a few days after his arrest.
“I need justice from this court because I’m now disabled. I’m not able to do day-to-day activities like I used to. I can’t even write,” she explained.
The prosecution told court that suspect Kuloba, a resident of Nabooti Village, Nakatsi Sub-County in Bududa District, on July 4, 2020, armed with a machete, waylaid the victim and attacked her before chopping off her right hand in a botched rape.
The girl also sustained several injuries on other parts of the body. The prosecution presented three witnesses; the victim, her cousin and uncle.
In her testimony, the girl further asked the court to give suspect Kuloba a harsh punishment.
Her mother, Ms Juliet Khainza said: “We had waited for this case to start but in vain. I want my daughter to get justice.”
She also asked the suspect to foot her daughter’s medical bills, pending judgment, saying her family could no longer afford her medication.
