The 8-year-old son of Jackline Mukisa was recently found in a swamp in Uganda. The boy's teeth, lips, ears, and genitals had been removed in what police investigators believe to be a ritual human sacrifice. According to USA Today, the boy was last seen alive after school by his classmates who reported that a man named John Lubega offered him a ride home. Investigators believe that the boy was still alive when he was disfigured. Although no arrests have been made in this case so far, police are working hard to put a stop to human sacrifices in Uganda.

Violence against children

Unfortunately, the case of Mukisa's son is not rare. Ugandan police investigate dozens of Human Sacrifice cases every year. It is such a prevalent practice that they have a special task force known as the Anti-Human Sacrifice and Trafficking Task Force in order to deal with these heinous crimes against children.

Uganda is currently experiencing the worst drought it's seen in over 50 years. Approximately 1.6 million Ugandans are facing extreme famine. Some people believe that this drought has been brought on by ancestral spirits. These superstitious people then turn to witch doctors for rituals of health, wealth, and success.

In 2016, Herbert Were, 21, was arrested for beheading his little brother, Joel Ogema.

Omega was only 8-years-old. Upon his arrest, Were confessed to murdering his younger brother to gain wealth. Police officials said that children like Ogema disappear every week.

Another exceptionally heinous case was from 2014 when a witch doctor murdered a 10-year-old boy, Kanani, and his 7-year-old sister, Suubi. Both children had their throats cut and were drained of all blood.

Their genitals had also been removed.

A Ugandan Christian organization known as Kyampisi Childcare Ministries is working with police to help stop these horrific crimes against children. Pastor Peter Sewakiryanga is the leader of this organization. He encourages survivors to come forward and speak with the police.

Violence against women

While children make up the majority of the victims, women have also been murdered for ritual human sacrifices as well. According to Police Inspector General Kale Kayihura, approximately 21 women have been sacrificed between May and September of this year.

After a three day searching, the wife of Francis Bahati was found dismembered. Her fingers and feet had been cut off for ceremonial purposes. The survival rate for a ritual such as this is very low, and many survivors never report the crime.

In Katabi, a village only 24 miles from Kampala, the capital city, police arrested 44 people suspected of murdering women and children. So far, half of the suspects have been put on trial. However, police still have a long way to go when combating the epidemic of human sacrifices.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED