By Robert Nsubuga
The High Court in Masaka has sentenced a 78-year-old man to 20 years in prison for defiling his 13-year-old daughter, in a case heard during a special session targeting sexual and gender-based violence.
The convict, Kassim Katongole, a witchdoctor and resident of Lwamagwa in Rakai District, was found guilty of sexually abusing his daughter and treating her as his wife in 2020.
Presiding judge, Justice Victoria Nakintu Katamba, handed down the 20-year sentence, stressing the need to protect children and ensure justice for victims of abuse.
During the ongoing session, organized by the judiciary in partnership with OKOA, an organization advocating for the rights of abused children and women, also Bonny Bukenya pleaded guilty to defiling a 14-year-old girl and infecting her with HIV.
Prosecutors told the court that Bukenya began abusing the child after marrying her mother.
When the mother discovered the abuse, she allegedly forced the girl to remain silent.
The matter only came to light when the child was sent to her grandmother, where it was discovered, she had contracted HIV.
Several other suspects have also been arraigned and are awaiting trial on charges of child defilement. The session is expected to handle up to fifty cases.
David Guma, the officer in charge of children and family affairs at OKOA, said the collaboration with the judiciary aims to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive justice.
He noted that cases of abuse are becoming increasingly common in the Greater Masaka region.
Justice Katamba attributed the rise in such cases partly to harmful cultural practices perpetuated by some parents, calling on the community to protect children and uphold the law.
ENDS.
English 