By Enyichukwu Enemanna
An 18-year-old Ugandan Muslim girl who attended a Church service, has received no fewer than 100 lashes of cane from her uncle, while five of her other uncles held her down, the Nile Post news website reported.
Meanwhile, police have arrested the suspects, numbering about seven on charges of alleged assault.
Footage depicting where the girl was being beaten had gone viral on social media, eliciting widespread condemnation among Ugandans.
The family has not yet commented. The girl’s uncles were arrested alongside her aunt, who is her primary guardian, police said.
They would remain in custody pending investigations, Samuel Semewo, an acting regional police spokesperson, was quoted as saying.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Grounds Dana Air Flights Following Runway Slip Incident
It is still unclear what offences they will be charged with, but Semewo told the Nile Post that the alleged actions amounted to assault or torture.
He said the family members “pounced” on the girl “with lashes” and that she was “slowly recovering pending medical examinations”.
A local representative of the national Muslim governing body said the alleged assault was “barbaric and inhumane” and not supported by the religion’s principles, the Daily Monitor reported.