Nurse Remanded Over Raping A 7 Months Pregnant Patient

A 38-year-old male nurse who was detained on Monday in the Rukiga District on suspicion of engaging in coercive s3xual activity with a lady who was seven months pregnant has been charged with rape and placed on remand.

The state prosecution, led by Julie Najjunju, informed the court that Darius Orikiriza, who was employed as a male enrolled nurse and a sonographer at Mparo Health Centre IV on Monday, had s3xual contact with an adult woman without her consent. The Kabale chief magistrate, Mr. Derick Byamugisha, remanded the accused on Friday.

Due to the capital nature of the offense and the fact that only the High Court may hear it, the accused was not permitted to enter a plea. He was sent to the Kabale town prison in Ndorwa on remand.

Although the accused was not permitted to enter a plea because this court lacks jurisdiction, the charges of rape were read to him and explained to him. It is advisable that you submit a bail application to the High Court of Uganda, Mr. Byamugisha stated.

The prosecution claims that on August 21, 2023, at approximately 1.3 p.m., Orikiriza, a sonographer at Mparo Health Center IV, pushed the victim, who was 20 years old, into a s3xual encounter when she arrived for a scan.

“On Monday at around 1 p.m., the victim—who is seven months pregnant—went to the Mparo Health Center for a checkup. When she arrived, she was told to go to the scanning section, which was now being run by the suspect. The alleged health professional was forced into a s3xual act against her will after being told to take off her clothes, according to court documents.

The victim promptly reported the forced act to the facility’s manager, who then called the police and arrested the culprit.