Police in Buhweju District, Western Uganda, are investigating an assault on Moreen Nagasha, a 16-year-old senior one student at St Victor Secondary School in Katara. The headteacher, along with other teachers, allegedly attacked her, accusing her of theft.
Following the incident, Nagasha received initial treatment at a clinic in Buhweju, where she stayed for three days before being transferred to Diisi Medical Clinic in Bwizibwera, Mbarara District, for further care. Dr. Rodgers Shabomwe, who oversees the clinic, reported that Nagasha arrived with severe injuries to her buttocks, leaving her unable to walk or sit without assistance. The medical team has been treating her wounds to alleviate her pain.
Nagasha recounted the events from her hospital bed in Mbarara, explaining that the ordeal began when she was discovered in the dormitory during class time. Around the same period, some students’ suitcases were found broken, leading peers to suspect her of theft. When the headteacher was informed, he took her to the staff room and began beating her without allowing her to explain her presence in the dormitory or defend herself against the accusations. The punishment reportedly lasted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Nagasha forced to lie under office chairs during the assault. She claimed the school’s PTA chairman silenced her cries by covering her mouth and slapping her face. A teacher named Erias eventually intervened around 5 p.m., pleading for her release.
Even after the headteacher’s punishment ended, Nagasha said she endured further beatings. Some of her assailants sought first aid supplies as her condition deteriorated. She was later taken to the dormitory, where the head girl and other students removed her blood-soaked skirt. The head girl approached the deputy headteacher for medication, which was provided, but when the headteacher was informed of Nagasha’s critical state, he reportedly dismissed the concern and told them to leave her alone.
Nagasha’s father, Leodius Byabashaija, learned of the incident through the village chairman, who had been contacted by the district police commander in Nsika. He expressed outrage over the brutality and urged the government to take stronger action to protect children’s rights, particularly for girls, in schools.
The headteacher, Bernard Kabagambe, acknowledged the incident during a phone conversation, asserting that Nagasha had returned to the dormitory while others attended morning classes, broke into suitcases, and stole money. He denied personally assaulting her, claiming instead that fellow students were responsible, contradicting Nagasha’s account implicating him, the PTA chairman, and other teachers.
SP Timothy Ndahura of Buhweju Police confirmed that statements have been collected from some staff members. No arrests have been made, as the suspects remain at large, though efforts to apprehend them continue. A similar case of a student being beaten by teachers occurred weeks earlier in Ntungamo District.