Residents in Mukono district demand for fresh charges and arrest of the woman who burnt her two year old step daughter with hot water.
On August 27, Sophia Nakibuule 22, a resident of Lumuli Cell in Goma Division, Mukono Municipality allegedly boiled and poured hot water at the back of Katrina Ajambo 2, while she was in a deep sleep claiming to have got some misunderstandings with the boyfriend, Yosiya Ojambo.
Nakibuule, a culprit of merciless torture was managed by the neighbors and handled her over to Seeta police but instead was given a bail by court last week.
However, after the Luwero Court Magistrate, John Paul Obuya sentenced to 18 months a one Dorothy Nabulime 22, who was recorded in a video which circulated on social media torturing her two year old child, residents at Mukono have also started demanding for arrest and fresh charges against Nakibuule.
Whereas Nabulime in Luweero was charged with cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment of a child contrary to section (1 of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture act and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to the child contrary to section 236 of the penal code.
At Mukono, Nakibuule was on charged with ‘excessive force while punishing her step child’. Before the Mukono Chief Magistrate, Racheal Nakyazze she pleaded not guilty to the crimes.
Much as the prosecution pleaded that the suspect be remanded to prison since the condition of the burnt girl is still worrying and on medication, the accused’s lawyer, Hassan Kato insisted that the case was bailable.
The Chief Magistrate granted the suspect a cash bail of Shillings 3 million and the sureties a noncash bail of Shillings 10 million before adjourning the matter to September 23 for further hearing.
Jackie Nakiranda, one of the concerned residents says what the suspect confessed before residents and at police does not reflect on the charge sheet.
According to her, the suspect revealed that her intention was to penalize the boy friend whom they had got misunderstandings from, however police recorded on the charge sheet that her intention was to penalize the child and the chargesheet does not describe the pain inflicted on the girl.
Another resident, Saul Ddamulira accuses police for mismanaging the file to portray the suspect as innocent despite committing an act equivalent to attempted murder.
Ddamulira says such acts against children will continue once investigating officers continue to slumber at work or take bribes to distort evidence.