Richard Duhimbaze, a 26-year-old man from Mugwata village, Sooko parish in Muramba Sub County, Kisoro district, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail by the Kabale High Court sitting in Kisoro district. The resident judge, Hon. Justice Emokor Samuel, found Duhimbaze guilty of defiling an eight-year-old girl from Mugwata Village in 2021.
The High Court sitting in Kisoro heard on Tuesday this week that on November 2nd, 2021, Duhimbaze, who was 24 years old at the time, forcefully had carnal knowledge with the victim at Mugwata. Prosecution led by Grace Nabagala Ntege revealed to the court that Duhimbaze, while at Mugwata village, ran after three female minors aged between 5 and 8 during the evening hours, with the intent of having sexual intercourse with whoever would fail to get away.
The court heard that the victim of defilement failed to get away from her pursuer, who managed to catch her and sexually abused her. Duhimbaze pleaded guilty to the offense before the court.
Hon. Justice Emokor Emanuel sentenced Duhimbaze to only 15 years in jail because he did not waste the court’s time. Emokor said that the one year and six months the convict spent on remand would be deducted from the sentence.
The sentencing of Duhimbaze has been welcomed by the locals in Kisoro, who have been calling for stricter measures to be taken against perpetrators of sexual violence. Sexual violence against minors has been on the rise in Uganda, with many cases going unreported or receiving inadequate attention from law enforcement and the judicial system.
The Kabale High Court’s decision to hand down a 15-year sentence to Duhimbaze sends a strong message to perpetrators of sexual violence and serves as a reminder that the law will not tolerate such heinous crimes. The case highlights the need for increased awareness and education on sexual violence and the importance of reporting such cases to the authorities.
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