File photo of a crime scene
Police in Kitgum District are investigating a horrific incident in which a 36-year-old school cook was allegedly raped and fatally assaulted in a forest in Latiti Cell, Pager Division, Kitgum Municipality.
The victim, identified as Agness Aneno, who worked at Kitgum Boys Primary School, was discovered unconscious and severely injured after a brutal early-morning attack on Wednesday. She was rushed to St Joseph Hospital in Kitgum but was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to preliminary police reports, Aneno was heard crying for help around 5:00am, prompting nearby residents to respond.
“It was reported that at around 5:00am, a lady was heard crying in a forest belonging to the late Opia. The community members responded only to find a woman tied to a tree and badly injured,” said Mr Joe Oloya, spokesperson for the Aswa East Region Police.
He added: “A piece of stick was pushed into her private parts.”
The crime scene was documented by the District Criminal Investigations Department and a team of detectives. Her body was later transferred to Kitgum General Hospital for a postmortem examination.
A case of murder has been registered, although by press time no suspects had been arrested. Police say investigations are ongoing, and there are unconfirmed reports that the victim may have been pregnant at the time of the attack.
This incident adds to the growing concerns about violent crime in the region. Since the start of the year, at least nine people have been murdered in the Aswa East Region alone.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report (2023), Kitgum District recorded the highest number of homicides in the Acholi sub-region, with 34 murder cases. These included incidents of domestic violence, shootings, stabbings, and assaults.
Other districts followed closely:
Gulu City registered 28 murders
Omoro District had 27 cases
Pader District recorded 18, and
Gulu District reported 12 cases
In total, 218 people were murdered in the Acholi sub-region in 2023. Nationwide, Uganda recorded 4,248 homicides, translating to an average of 11 people killed per day last year.