This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, Ugandan Police re-arrested Anne Namata, who had been accused of feeding her teenage stepdaughter food mixed with her menstrual blood. She was remanded for two weeks at Kauga prison in Mukono District, Uganda.
According to Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire, Namata was tracked down and re-arrested from Katosi landing site, where she had sought temporary refuge.
Her husband, Yunus Lungu, had alerted the police after neighbours informed him that Namata had been mixing menstrual blood with the sauce, which she forced the teenager to eat.
Namata pleaded not guilty in court, but her husband supported the prosecution's case with a signed police affidavit, stating that she had previously confessed to the crime and apologized at a local council meeting.
Medical research warns that menstrual flow contains bacteria and blood-borne diseases, including HIV, hepatitis viruses, and cytomegalovirus, which can be transmitted through ingested blood.
Experts also note that blood is toxic when ingested, as the body struggles to excrete excess iron.
