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Police in Uganda are set to deploy officers to check cars and motorcycles as part of measures to fight child sacrifice and human trafficking. The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, said that with the help of the US government 2,010 anti-trafficking officers have been trained for the job. A counter-trafficking unit has been created to curb child sacrifice and human trafficking, he said. “We are going to search all vehicles at various check points. We shall at random ask children in vehicles to identify the people they are with,” he told journalists at the media centre in Kampala. Kayihura’s briefing came amid increasing reports of ritual murders, with children mostly targeted. Kayihura also said hotlines would be available for the public to report suspicious people in their vicinity. He further disclosed a plan to set up up special courts to handle child sacrifice cases. “We have the support of the Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, over the creation of special courts and special prosecutors who will handle the cases,” he said. Kayihura noted that of the 18 suspected ritual murder cases reported to the Police last year, 15 had been conclusively investigated and the suspects committed to the High Court. He said that most ritual murders were committed by either parents or relatives of the victims, adding that in the 15 cases above, the suspects confessed. “Since the normal court procedure takes long to hear these cases, we want to create special courts so that we do not delay such cases if we are to curb this evil practice.” Rukia Nakadama, the state minister for gender and cultural affairs, appealed to parents to take extra care of their children and asked the public to be more vigilant. The state minister for internal affairs, Matia Kasaija, regretted that there was a 600 per cent increase in ritual murder, from the three reported in 2007, up to 18 cases last year. Kasaija noted that the problem was compounded by the increase in other crimes affecting children like kidnapping, abduction and child stealing. In 2006, there were 230 such cases. That figure dropped to 108 in 2007 but shot up to 318 last year. He said sensitisation of the public on the crime, team work, strengthening the child and family protection unit and setting up a dedicated counter-trafficking unit would curb child sacrifice and human trafficking. “The government will do whatever is within its reach to ensure that the lives of her citizens are protected. We have drafted proposals in the Cabinet. Even if it means changing the laws to provide for a court-martial to hear child sacrifice cases, we shall do it,” he explained. Further information
pdf: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/667107Association: New Vision, Uganda