Man, 34, jailed 30 years over aggravated defilement of 4-year-old girls

Kabale, (UG):- The High Court in Kabale Municipality Friday sentenced a 34-year-old man to 30 years of imprisonment over aggravated defilement.

The court, presided over by Justice Samuel Emokor, heard that on June 23, 2018, Martin Sunday, while at Hakasingye village in Kisasa parish, Kamuganguzi Sub-county, Kabale District, defiled two minors, aged 4 years, also of the same residence.

Prosecution led by Julie Nanjunju told court that their mothers were going for burial. They decided to leave them in the neighborhood; it was where Sunday, who was their neighbor, found them and called them, then took them to his mother’s house, where he put them on beds, pulled their knickers, and had sex with them one by one as he defiled them.

After they went home, they told their parents how Sunday had taken them into his house and slept on top of them as he put a big thing in them. It was then that their parents alerted the police, and he was arrested.

Justice Emokor then said that considering the evidence that the prosecution brought, it proved beyond reasonable doubt that Sunday defiled the two minors, as he is convicted as charged on both counts of aggravated robbery.

After conviction, the prosecution asked the court to give him 35 years because the convict had irreparably damaged the victim’s life. At the time of the commitment of the offense, he was 29 years old. He was supposed to protect the two victims but instead performed a sex act on them.

The State Attorney asked the court to give him a sentence that would act as a deterrent to those who intend to commit crimes of the same nature.

The defense lawyers led by Felix Bakanyebonera, prayed to the court for a lenient sentence, asking the court to consider the six years Sunday has spent on remand. They also argued that he has a family that he left behind when he was 68 years old, and his wife left after he was arrested, leaving behind a child who is now 13 years old.

Justice Emokor said that Sunday, while defiling the two girls, he should have thought about the welfare of his family, being that he was 25 years older than them, but he instead put all his lust on the young kids, destroying their future, as the act he did was grave and attracts a maximum sentence of death.

Justice Emokor then said that there is a need to send a message to the would-be offenders like Sunday and such acts should be condoned. It was then that he sentenced him to 30 years in prison, of which he is serving the two counts co-currently, but he deducted 6 years and 20 days that he has been on remand; he is to serve 23 years, 11 months, and 21 days.