Women’s Rights Groups Condemn Government Over Torture of 15-Year-Old Girl Seeking Post Abortion Care.

23 June 2025, 9:28 pm

By Annet Nakato.

Women’s rights advocacy organizations have strongly condemned the government’s legal apparatus for the alleged torture of a 15-year-old girl who was arrested while seeking post-abortion care. The incident has sparked outrage and renewed calls for justice and respect for human rights, especially for girls and women in vulnerable situations.

The human rights lawyer Edward Musiima,say the organizations claim that police officers arrested the minor at Budondo Health Centre IV in Jinja, where she was receiving medical treatment following an abortion-related complication.

Among the groups calling out the abuse are the Center for Women Justice Uganda and Women With a Mission, among others. They criticized the manner in which the child was handled, stating that the conditions surrounding her arrest were inhumane and unjust.

The organizations argued that the girl should have been supported with care and counseling rather than subjected to torture and imprisonment. They demanded accountability and a rights-based approach in handling such cases.

Speaking from their offices in Mulago, lawyer Edward Musiima emphasized that legal action was being taken to ensure justice for the girl.”We have taken this matter to court to seek justice for the child,” Musiima said.

He further urged the government to strengthen all legal frameworks that uphold human rights, particularly those that protect the rights of women and girls.”The way this child was treated violated her basic human rights,” he added.

Musiima also criticized the police and other security agencies for their handling of the matter, calling for reforms to improve the way they serve the public, especially women.”There is a need to improve the way police officers conduct their duties to ensure better and more sensitive service delivery, especially toward women,” Musiima stated.

The incident has intensified demands for government institutions to treat victims of sexual and reproductive health challenges with empathy and care, rather than criminalization.