A 15 year-old boy is currently detained at Apac Police Station, accused of using a club to fatally strike his 52-year-old father, Charles Aliro in an incident that unfolded on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. The shocking event occurred in the quiet Otucoluk village, Aketo parish, Ibuje sub-county, Apac district.
The North Kyoga Police spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema, revealed that the juvenile, whose identity is being withheld, had returned home from Kampala to spend the festive season with his parents. However, a seemingly mundane argument with his father escalated into a horrifying turn of events at around 8:00 pm.
According to Okema, the heated exchange prompted the enraged teenager to grab a club, striking his father with fatal consequences. Charles Ogwal, the boy’s uncle and immediate neighbor, swiftly intervened, transporting the lifeless body to Apac Hospital Mortuary before delivering the suspect to Apac Police Station.
Subsequent investigations led by the Apac District Police Commander included a visit to the crime scene for reconstruction and the collection of statements. Additionally, Ogwal, who played a crucial role in handling the aftermath, was taken into custody amid suspicions of tampering with the crime scene.
Apac Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Joan Apio, shed light on the underlying motives behind the tragic incident. Apparently, the boy sought financial assistance from his father, but Aliro’s refusal sparked the violent altercation.
“The boy asked his father for money but the father told him, you were in Kampala with your uncle and I was expecting you to give me money,” Apio recounted the deceased’s words to his son. The fatal blow, delivered to the chest, resulted in instant death.
Apio expressed concern over rising indiscipline among the youth in Lango, attributing it to laziness and a desire for a lavish lifestyle without the willingness to work. She pointed to excessive alcohol consumption among young people as a worrisome trend, placing blame on inadequate parenting practices in the region.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner drew connections between teen marriages, domestic violence, and the emergence of street life among children, emphasizing the need for government intervention. She highlighted the detrimental impact of absentee fathers, alcoholism, and the preference for girl children in certain policies as significant contributors to the community’s challenges.
Dorcus Otim, the Apac secretary for community-based services, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the urgency for a regional remand home to address the escalating issues among the youth.
