Parliament has passed the Sexual Offences Bill that imposes a 10 year jail term or a fine of up to shs 40m for pastors for “unwelcome touches on followers during “healing process”, according to The New Vision.
“Spiritual healers who extend unwanted touches to their followers especially touch of the breasts, for girls and women or when a spiritual healer touches a person in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable,” Jacob Oboth, the chairperson of Parliament’s legal and parliamentary affairs committee said.
If signed by the President, the law also target employers, educationists, health professionals, who make direct or indirect sexual advances or requests both verbal and written to their employees, prospecting employees, students, patients, or other persons under their trust before advancing their services.
The Private Members Bill which was introduced by Kumi District Woman MP Monica Amoding is sponsored by the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association.
The Bill, if signed into law will provide for extraterritorial application of the law and repeal of some provisions of the Penal Code Act cap 120 and for other related matters.
Sexual offences in Uganda have been on the rise over the past couple of years. Not only have they been witnessed in churches but also in the Higher Institutions of learning and government offices.
Last year, Youth MP for Eastern Uganda Anna Ebaju Adeke accused an unnamed Member of Parliament for sexually molesting her whole on a foreign trip.
At Makerere University, a lecturer was interdicted and investigated for sexually molesting a female Kenyan student as she filmed the incident in his university office.
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