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8-year-old held in Uganda for lesbianism'

Same-sex sexual acts are illegal in Uganda, which has some of the most restrictive anti-LGBT laws in the world.

London: An 8-year-old girl in Uganda has been arrested for committing “lesbianism, the Independent reported on Saturday. It said the girl is understood to be in police custody after her neighbour reported her to the police for engaging in “romantic relationships” with other girls.

The Gay Star News said Catherine Wobuyaga, officer at Jinja Police Child Family Protection unit, in the eastern region, confirmed the girl had been arrested, reports.

A neighbour spotted the “luring” other girls to a nearby farm. There she enacted “various sex acts with her fingers”, the neighbour alleged. The girl is a minor and cannot be named for legal reasons.

Same-sex sexual acts are illegal in Uganda, which has some of the most restrictive anti-LGBT laws in the world.

Meanwhile, international human rights activists condemned the alleged arrest. Victor Odero, Amnesty International’s East Africa Campaigner told The Independent: “The girl should be immediately and unconditionally released if she is still in detention. What she needs is protection and respect for her privacy, rather than being treated as a criminal. The state’s responsibility here is to protect the child’s welfare, not to arrest her.”

The penal code criminalising same-sex acts in Uganda dates back to laws passed under British colonial rule. In February 2014, the laws were extended further so that “promoting” homosexuality or knowing someone had “committed” a homosexual act and failing to report it to the police is also a criminal offence.

( Source : Agencies )
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