A 19-year-old man has died after he was allegedly beaten by his clan members over allegations of bestiality in Uganda.
Geoffrey Otema, a resident of Arwot Nyap Village, Adigo Parish, Loro Sub-county in Oyam, allegedly had sex with a goat he later strangled to death in the neighbourhood on Thursday night.
He was reportedly taken to the office of the area LC1 chairman where the matter was being handled but his Atek Odutugole clan members took him away to “discipline him.’’
Beaten into coma, Otema died November 19, 2021.
Mr Tom Arip, a close family member, said the deceased confessed of sexually abusing the goat and pleaded for pardon but some elders did not listen to him.
“He was arrested early in the morning and made to sit in the sun up to 4pm when he died. He asked for food and water at around 2pm but no one listened to him,” he said on Saturday.
Mr Ambrose Ogwang, the vice chairperson LC1 of Arwot Nyap Village, said the deceased’s close relatives took over the matter from LC1 claiming that they were going to teach their own child.
“The village court had already fined him four goats and his mother accepted to pay but when his clan leaders came, they took him away from us and I only received the information in the evening that Otema had died. I then called the police from Loro and they came and recorded statements from us,” he said.
Mr Ogwang said the Atek Odutugole clan chief in charge of Arwot Nyap Village was arrested by police on Saturday and was being detained at Oyam Central Police Station.
A police source who is not authorised to speak to the media said investigations into the matter are ongoing.
Attempts to get a comment from the acting District Police Commander (DPC), Mr David Twinamansiko were fruitless since he neither received nor returned our calls to his known phone number.
Mr Nickson Okun, Loro Sub-county chairman, condemned the act, urging clans to refrain from violence while trying to settle matters.
“We are now in a civilised world where clans should desist from the ancient methods of beating up suspect that they are disciplining. This will land them into problems,” he said in an interview on Sunday.
