By David Awori
Police in the Eastern border District of Busia have arrested a Catholic priest over allegations of defiling a 17-year-old primary school leaver.
Police on Sunday picked up Fr Peter Owora from Dabani Parish headquarters, where he is attached, and detained him at Dabani Police Station, before transferring him to Busia Central Police Station.
Detectives at Dabani Police Station say they have carried out tests on the girl and established she was defiled, while tests on the priest indicate that he had sexual intercourse.
“We are analysing the suspect’s HIV status, although a Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (pregnancy) test on the girl returned negative results,” a police source said on Sunday.
At Busia Central Police Station where the Priest was transferred, an anonymous detective described him as being in an “alcoholic and shivering” state.
It was later established that he was on the verge of collapsing in the police cells, prompting his release on bond, citing “health grounds”.
Mr Tibbs Asiimwe, the Busia District Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID) Officer confirmed the Priest’s arrest on allegations of defilement, but added that he had been released on medical grounds after his health deteriorated while in their custody.
“It was difficult to keep him in Police cells until today (Monday). We feared (that) he would cause us “problems” and gave him bond so that he can access treatment, come back this week and we take him to Court,” Mr Asiimwe further explained.
The Catholic Church doctrine demands that priests are supposed to practice celibacy and not to engage in acts of sexual intercourse.
Family sources told this Publication that the suspect was arrested after he reportedly returned to the victim’s home after she went missing for four days. The victim is said to have sat for her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at one of the schools in the District.
“The Priest brought the victim back home on a motorcycle, and when we tried asking him where the girl had been, he started quarreling,” the source said.
According to the source, the priest was “drunk” when he returned with the victim, and that when her parents asked him where their daughter had been, he reportedly “harassed” them before riding away.
The source added: “Our daughter went missing for four days and when she finally appeared with the priest, we were suspicious.”
