Christine's StoryChristine was born and brought up in Uganda. She worked in a photolab in Kampala. A prominent government official and businessman raped her. Her family helped her to move to another town, but the Government official found her and raped her again. She was attacked in the street and her hand was slashed. In fear of her life her family decided to get her out of the country. Escape In 2002(?) her family asked a cousin, living in London, to help. He arranged for a false passport so she could get out of the country. Her parents borrowed the money to pay for the passport. She left Uganda using the false passport and a visa in September 2002. She stayed with her cousin for a few weeks. She had been told she would be trained in Health Care and be able then to get a job.. In March 2003 a job was arranged for her by an ‘agent’. She became a live-in support worker, looking after an elderly Arabic man.
Exploited She lived with him and his family in London. Christine worked 7 days a week with one Sunday off a month. Her cousin paid her between £15- 40/month. The Arab family paid the ‘agent’ £1600/month. If Christine questioned where her money was her cousin told her it was being saved for her, and that if she wasnt happy about it they would send her back to Uganda. She worked there for more than 4 years. The family were good to her but thought she was working for an agency. Eventually the family were going on holiday for a month and asked her to go with them, but the cousin refused to allow this. Life threatened again While the family were away Christine stayed with the cousin and his wife in Kilburn. While she was there she confronted him and then she believes he started to poison her, and after a few days she ran away and was chased into a bank (HSBC) where she asked for the staff to call the police. The police were called and she was taken into custody. She was admitted into hospital and diagnosed with acute depression. She remained there for a month, and while there her cousins wife came in and fed her. Again she believes she was being poisoned. Blood tests showed traces of poison in her system. Asylum Claim She claimed asylum in October 2007, and dispersed to Leeds. The police came up from London to investigate the trafficking claim. Her claim was turned down. Christine appealed against the decision in October 2007, but the appeal was denied. The judge at the original hearing didn’t believe Christine’s story, and the Appeal Judge wasn’t inclined to question his colleagues opinion. Life in England Her life in England has been hard. Although the family she lived with were good employers, and treated her well, effectively she was in a form of bonded labour. Since she made her claim for asylum Christine has lived in Leeds. She is studying Hospitality at Park Lane College. She is an active member of her church and volunteers for Pafraz at St Aidans Church. Detention On 21st January at 6 in the morning, 13 assorted police and Home Office officials, all male, entered Christines house and demanded she go with them. They attempted to handcuff her, but Christine, all 4ft 11 and 6 stone of her, resisted and refused to be shackled.
She was bodily picked up by one of the policemen, and thrown into the back of the van with such disregard for her safety that she damaged her back. In the police station a doctor was called to exam her, but he wasn’t allowed to treat her. She was given ordinary pain killers by the police. She was then transferred to Yarlswood Detention Centre. For no appartent reason she was then released 8 days later. She doesn’t know why she was detained nor why she was released. Christines Case. Christine believes that if she returns to Uganda her life will be at risk. The person who raped her will know of her whereabouts, and she fears for the safety of her family. She doesn’t know where else she could go in Uganda, she has no ties in any other area, and would in any event have to register with the local authorities as soon as she enters Uganda with a deportation certificate. It is inevitable that the people who raped her would find her again. The police force in Uganda have proved to be ineffective in protecting women against male violence, and the treatment of women in Uganda has long been of concern to organisations and agencies such as Amnesty International, |
Campaign: Christine Namubiru Home Office Reference – N1129187
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Afrol on violence against women in Uganda “With the Central Government generally being distanced from the people, traditional practices and laws remain the norm in Ugandan society, mostly to the disadvantage to women's rights. General poverty and armed conflict also contribute to the troubled situation of Ugandan women. Violence against women, including rape, remains common. Wife beating is viewed as a husband's prerogative. …… There are no laws that specifically protect women from battery, although there is a general law concerning assault. ……Law enforcement officials, reflecting general public opinion, continued to view wife beating as a husband's prerogative and rarely intervened in cases of domestic violence. Women remained more likely to sue for divorce than to file assault charges against their husbands. Child abuse remains a serious problem, particularly the rape of young girls (known locally as "defilement"). While defilement carries a maximum sentence of death, that punishment has never been meted out to a convicted rapist." |
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Links Violence against women in Uganda
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