After many months of recovering from a traumatic experience at a police station in Rubaga, I would like @PoliceUg and women (all of you) to get a glimpse into the evil waiting for you, that many women have already experienced. A thread. I swear, READ IT!!!
I was standing outside a garage 'protected' by dogs in the middle of the day. There were several men hanging out with the dogs. .Suddenly, the dogs started barking at me. I wondered why the men were not telling the dogs to hush up.
Everything happened in a flash. I felt a searing pain in my body but did not know where. I was surrounded by a pack go dogs biting and snapping and ripping at my dress. I screamed and screamed and screamed.
My screams were loud but the laughter of the men was louder.
When the men were tired of their sport, he gave a command and the dogs retreated. I couldn't breathe, I was crying so bad. Because I didn't expect to still be alive.
I went to the Rubaga police station, a 5 minute boda ride. I explained why I was there, and said I didn't care about arrests because I've tried that many times. Police do not arrest men who abuse women until the women are dead. SUE ME FOR DEFAMATION.
I only wanted the owner of the garage to pay for the rabie's shots I definitely needed. One policeman said, "But why do you want to disturb these poor men? You look rich enough to pay for your own vaccination".
Another policeman said, "How do we know you were bitten? Prove it to us. Lift up your dress and we see the wounds". My dress had holes from the dogs' teeth. There was blood. But I indulged these horny men and lifted up my dress so they could see the very deep bite marks.
Then and only then did they finally start writing a report. Things took a different tangent from there. A tangent where the policemen exposed themselves as quite frankly, abusers, rapists and everything in between masquerading in police uniform.
"You're telling us you're 35 years old. But you're saying you're single. Why are you single?" I said because I was and end of story and I needed 5 rabies shots and could we please hurry up so they could call the owner and bloody well make him pay for it".
They ignored me. One policeman beckoned me to move to his desk and quizzed me about being single. When I begun to lose the temper I'd been reining in because I was in pain and shock, he said, "You know, for women like you, I know a medicine that can give libido".
I left him and sat dejected on a single bench as my report was written. I was told to return the following day. I told them I couldn't because I had to go to Mulago and get my first rabies shot. I returned the day after that.
I showed them my receipt for the shot and asked where the owner of the garage was, and if they'd discussed my compensation and had my money for the next shots. They told me my receipt was invalid because I needed to examined by their doctor.
I asked if they'd summoned anyone from the garage. No, they hadn't. They needed their doctor to examine me first. Incredulous, I said, "The garage is 5 minutes away, a pack of dogs attacked me and YOU'RE WAITING FOR A DOCTOR YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT SO TIME IS WASTED?!".
I tore their report. I told them to go to hell. When they saw the effect of my mental state due to the attack, when my fury rocked their room, they begged, "Please, let us help you. Give us a chance. We can get you justice".
"No, you can't", I retorted. "You started off by harassing me, ogling my bleeding thigh, offering me libido and you haven't had the professionalism to summon the men who set their dogs on me and laughed throughout the attack. Go to hell". I stormed out with their pleas begging.
I got all my shots, paid for by myself. I was lucky. I could afford it. Approximately 32 people die from rabies in Uganda. I could have been one of them. So @PoliceUg this attitude promotes vigilante justice in the public. Would anyone blame me for buying meat&poisoning the dogs?
The good news is I have a witness. I'd been waiting for her outside the garage and she showed up to find me sobbing hysterically right after the attack. We went to the station together. I'm so grateful I wasn't alone.