The number of Facebook-linked rape cases is increasing in Uganda. Last month alone, authorities recorded seven of such cases and the victims are girls who met the rapists via the world’s largest social media platform Facebook.
Giving an insight into the development in the East African country, Ms Florence Opodoi, senior advocate of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) – Uganda, said they received three cases in the last one week, with the latest victim being a 19-year-old girl.
According to Opodoi, the girl was raped following her post on Facebook, saying she was looking for someone to help her achieve her dream career of modelling.
The unsuspecting girl received a barrage of responses and was hoodwinked by one persuasive response by a man who promised to not only fund but also connect her with renowned models.
“The two agreed to meet at Kampala Serena Hotel. When they reached there, the man who was dressed to kill persuaded the girl to escort him to his apartment to pick the laptop, which he claimed contained the pictures of some of the girls he had helped pursue a career in modelling,” said Ms Opodoi.
On reaching the apartment, she narrated, the man served the girl a bottle of soda which threw her into deep sleep only to wake up to realise she had been raped.
“Unfortunately, the victim did not report to police but rushed to the washrooms and cleaned herself. Afterwards, she went back home. She approached us after being worried of having contracted HIV or conceived,” the official said, as an aerie of silence gripped the conference room.
Ms Opodoi made the moving account during the 2015 inter-generational dialogue, which was organised by Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) in Kampala at the weekend.