Muslim child allegedly lashed for attending church

Seven members of a Muslim family in eastern Uganda have been arrested by the authorities for allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old girl who attended a church service, police are quoted as saying.

The girl was allegedly given 100 lashes with a cane by her uncle while five of her other uncles held her down, the Nile Post news website reported.

Footage appearing to show the girl being beaten went 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 by the Daily Express news website.

It is still unclear what offences they will be charged with, but Mr Semewo told the Nile Post that the alleged actions amounted to assault or torture.

He also told the Daily Monitor newspaper 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.