The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lira has handed prison sentences to a couple, Walter Otim and his wife Collin Otim, after they were convicted of subjecting a 15-year-old girl to inhumane treatment, including forcing her to consume human waste.
The two, who are residents of Ireda Lumumba Cell in Lira City East Division, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joe Fay Adoko on Thursday.
Delivering his judgment, Adoko described the act as “grave and inhumane,” saying it inflicted severe emotional and psychological harm on the victim while breaching both the law and basic human dignity.
The magistrate noted that the offence carried a possible life sentence, adding that court took into account the circumstances under which the crime was committed, the victim’s age, and the likely long-term trauma she suffered.
According to the court, the abuse deeply disturbed both the community and the judiciary. Adoko further observed that the convicts showed no sign of remorse and that the victim could continue to suffer emotional scars for years to come.
He said the punishment was intended not only to penalize the offenders but also to deter others from committing similar offences.
Walter Otim was sentenced to 10 years in jail, although the period was reduced to 9 years, 11 months and 16 days after accounting for time already spent on remand. His wife, Collin Otim, received a three-year sentence and will serve 2 years, 11 months and 6 days after similar deductions.
In addition to the custodial sentences, court directed each convict to pay a fine of five million shillings within three months.
During the trial, court heard that on June 27, 2026, the teenager had gone to a saloon in Ireda Lumumba Cell for hair treatment.
She allegedly asked to use a toilet and was directed to an area behind the saloon, where she encountered Collin Otim.
Prosecution said Collin accused the girl of defecating near her residence and allegedly attacked her with a wire before summoning her husband to the scene.
Evidence presented in court indicated that Walter Otim then allegedly compelled the minor to eat human feces while threatening her with death.
State prosecutors described the incident as degrading, violent, and inhuman, arguing that a prison sentence was necessary both as punishment and to discourage such acts within the community.
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