The body of Bernhard Glaser, a German national, who died last week at Luzira prison where he had been remanded for sex-related offences, is to be cremated today.
This is after the public health department of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) approved the exercise.
Glaser, who at the time of his demise was facing multiple sexual abuse offenses arising from alleged molestation of young Ugandan girls in Kalangala District, will be cremated at Hindu Crematorium at 10am.
He succumbed to cancer on May 7, 2020, a day after the High Court in Kampala had granted him a cash bail of Shs30m so that he could be flown abroad for more specialized cancer treatment.
“Permission granted to Ntambiko Albert to cremate the body of the late Bernhard Glaser,” reads the permission notice of KCCA issued on Monday.
Sources close to the deceased said he had included in his Will that once he died, they should not bother to return his remains to Germany but instead, cremate his body and put the ash in an envelope and ship it to his wife.
Glaser was the founder of Sesse Humanitarian Service in Kalangala District; a community based private shelter that used to advocate for children rights and education of young girls.
The rehabilitation centre that he operated, mostly provided psychosocial care to victims of sexual-related offences.
However, he was later accused of sexually harassing the less privileged children under his care, leading to his arrest and subsequent trial. He faced eight charges of aggravated defilement, 19 counts of aggravated child trafficking, one count of indecent assault and another count of operating an approved children’s home.
He was first arrested in November 2013 and charged after two children under his care accused him of sexual abuse. The minors aged between 12 and 14, said that Glaser had repeatedly defiled them since 2007. He stayed in detention for more than two months.
During the operation in which he was arrested, police said they recovered a dildo and lubricants that he allegedly applied to the victims before defiling them. The detectives also said they had found that all girls at the facility had implants, one of the options used by women in family planning.
Subsequently, 21 suspected victims were relocated to Kampala for safe custody, but 19 of the children returned to Kalangala days later.
In 2015, Justice John Eudes Keitirima dismissed all cases against him due to lack of evidence. The case was reinstated in February 2019 with some amendments.
He was charged with 19 counts of aggravated trafficking of children, five counts of aggravated defilement, one count of indecent assault and one count of operating an approved children’s home.
Glaser had applied for bail to seek treatment for stage four cancer of the skin (Melanoma) and diabetes.
