At Mparo Health Centre IV in Rukiga district, a sense of shock pervaded among employees and patients following the revelation of an alleged rape involving a male nurse and a pregnant patient.
The incident involved a 20-year-old pregnant woman who regularly visited the health facility for her prenatal checkups.
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Allegedly, she was deeply distressed and unsettled by the events that unfolded during her prenatal ultrasound examination in a designated room.
Subsequently, she sought assistance by reporting the incident to the facility’s management.
Elly Maate, the spokesperson for the Kigezi Police region, issued a statement on Tuesday disclosing that a nurse named Darius Orikiriza, aged 38, was taken into custody at Rukiga Central Police Station after being apprehended over the accusations.
Residing in the quarters of the healthcare facility in Mparo Ward, located within Rwamucucu sub-county, Rukiga district, Orikiriza was implicated in the alleged incident which occurred on August 21, 2023, around 1:00 pm.
The victim, seven months pregnant at the time, attended her regular medical examination and was directed to the scanning department, which was supervised by the suspect.
As recounted in the statement, upon arriving at the scanning department, she was instructed to undress, and allegedly subjected to non-consensual sexual intercourse.
According to Maate, the patient promptly informed the facility’s authorities, who in turn notified the police for immediate action.
A team of investigators, including the district Police commander and the officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, were dispatched to the scene, leading to the swift apprehension of the suspect.
Swabs were collected from both the victim and the accused, and these were sent for analysis to the Government Analytical Laboratories.
HIV tests were also conducted on the nurse to ascertain his serological status. The case was officially filed as Rape under reference CRB 361/2023.
Ongoing investigations aimed to determine whether there were other victims who had undergone similar ordeals but chose not to report the incidents, or if their complaints were mishandled in some way.
Maate emphasized the ongoing inquiries and condemned the act, deeming it unethical and unprofessional, contrary to the expected behavior of medical professionals.
Upon the conclusion of the investigations, the suspect is slated to face court proceedings.
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