KAMPALA, UGANDA – A total of 191 children were defiled by suspects known to be living with HIV, while teachers and guardians accounted for a significant portion of the atrocities last year.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The troubling picture of child sexual abuse emerged from the 2025 Annual Crime Report, recently released by the Uganda Police Force, confirming 10,492 registered defilement cases in 2025.
The report indicates that 94 children were defiled by teachers, individuals entrusted with the learners’ safety, and 65 children were violated by their own guardians, persons expected to provide care and protection.
The report revealed that defilement cases registered by police in 2025 dropped to 10,492, down from 12,312 in 2024, a 14.8% decrease.
Meanwhile, among the 2025 cases, 7,019 were classified as simple defilement, while 3,473 fell under the more severe category of aggravated defilement.
Despite the overall decline, child protection advocates warn that the figures remain catastrophically high, with an average of nearly 29 children defiled every single day across the country.
Of the 10,492 reported defilement cases, only 4,886 were taken to court, less than half of all incidents reported, as the judiciary continues to grapple with a massive backlog.
Among the cases that reached court, 713 resulted in convictions, 27 ended in acquittals, 355 were dismissed, 3,791 remain pending, 1,932 were not proceeded with, and 3,674 are still under inquiry.
A total of 4,999 suspects were arrested and charged, resulting in 740 convictions, 27 acquittals, and 332 discharges, while 3,900 others are currently undergoing trial.
With over 3,600 cases still under inquiry and the conviction rate remaining low relative to the number of reported incidents, the true scale of accountability remains uncertain.
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