Rescue One More Establishes Community Action Team to Combat Child Sexual Violence in Busoga

Rescue One More, a civil society organization, has established a new Community Action Team (CAT) in Jinja City, marking a significant step in addressing sexual violence against children in the Busoga sub-region.

The newly formed team comprises a diverse group of professionals, including police officers, local political leaders, community development officers, probation officers, Village Health Teams, and para-social workers. Their primary objective is to streamline the coordination, reporting, and investigation processes for cases of child sexual abuse, while also ensuring comprehensive support for survivors.

During the launch at Jinja City Hall, the Mayor, Abdul Hafiz Nagaya, praised Rescue One More for their timely intervention. He emphasized the need for the initiative to also focus on male victims, noting that many suffer in silence. Mayor Nagaya also urged development partners to address underlying social issues like poverty, which he identified as contributing factors to the prevalence of sexual violence.

Jinja City is the fifth area to benefit from this initiative by Rescue One More, following similar successful rollouts in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, and Buikwe. According to figures cited by the CAT coordinator, Rebecca Hakasa Mukama, the statistics on child sexual abuse in Uganda are alarming, with one in every three girls and one in six boys having experienced such abuse.

The CAT will work to complement existing government structures, including the police and courts. Rescue One More pledges to support investigations, facilitate medical examinations, provide transport for victims and guardians to court, and offer crucial psychosocial support and temporary shelter for survivors whose safety is at risk.

Local government officials and probation officers have welcomed the initiative, citing resource limitations as a major hurdle in effectively handling such sensitive cases. They highlighted that the new team’s involvement would significantly improve the follow-up of cases, especially those families might attempt to settle outside the formal justice system. Police representatives also underscored the critical role the CAT will play in bridging resource gaps for investigations and victim support.

This collaborative effort aims to build capacity among team members and improve their mobility, ensuring a more effective response to child sexual violence incidents across the Busoga sub-region and providing vital support to victims.

Source: Nile Post