Four men have earned themselves between 23 and 28-year jail terms on their own plea of guilt for aggravated defilement. They are Mubarak Katungyi, Darious Nuwabiine, Derrick Tumwesigye, and Kiiza Abdu Amooti. They appeared before Mbarara High Court Judge lady Justice Joyce Kavuma sitting in Bushenyi on Friday.
During the hearing, Batson Baguma, the Chief State Attorney for Bushenyi district told the court between August 2nd and December 7th, 2019, Katungyi locked his 7-year-old niece in the house in the absence of her parents and defiled her severally with threats of killing should she reveal his conduct to anybody contrary to section 129(3)(4)(c) of the Penal Code Act.
According to Baguma, neighbors who learned about Katungyi’s conduct reported the matter to Police in mid-December 2019. Katungyi pleaded guilty and was consequently sentenced to 26 years imprisonment. The same court also sentenced Derrick Tumwesigye, a resident of Bushenyi to 28 years in jail after pleading guilty to defiling his 4-year-old daughter. Court heard that on October 7th, 2019, while at his home, Tumwesigye performed a sexual act on his daughter and cautioned her not to tell anyone about it.
Baguma told the court that the neighbors saw the minor walking with difficulty, and upon inquiring what had happened, it was found out that she had been sexually assaulted and reported the matter to the police. In Darius Nuwabiine’s case, Baguma told the court that on August 11th, 2019, the accused went to the home of his 7-year-old victim while her parents were away in the trading center and defiled her.
According to Baguma, the parents returned home and caught the accused red-handed in the act. At the beginning of the trial, the accused person pleaded not guilty and the prosecution produced five witnesses forcing him to change his plea to guilty. Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma handed him 24 years of imprisonment.
Kiiza Abdu Amooti who also pleaded guilty was allegedly indicted on July 18th, 2018, when the mother of his 8-year-old victim, a resident of Ryabakara in Rubirizi District found him red-handed abusing his daughter after hearing her crying in a nearby bush. Kiiza first pleaded not guilty but upon hearing the testimony of the victim and her mother, he changed his plea to guilty and earned himself 23 years’ imprisonment.
Prior to their sentencing, the four convicts asked the court for a light sentence, saying that they had realized the magnitude of their crimes. However, Justice Joyce Kavuma said that cases of sexual Gender-based violence were rampant in the region and needed a check. She, however, noted she had decided the sentences handed to each of the convicts taking into consideration the fact that they didn’t waste the court’s time.
The four appeared in the High court during the hearing of 40 cases of special Sexual Gender Based Violence that commenced in September this year. Faith Amanya Betenga, the Bushenyi senior probation, and welfare officer welcomed the sentences noting that these would act as examples of other would-be offenders.
FOR MORE CLICK HERE
