A 30-year-old mother is to spend the next three years in prison after the Napak Grade One Magistrate’s Court convicted her for aggravated torture after she severely burnt her six-year-old daughter’s private parts with a hot knife in a case that the court described as “terrible” and deserving of a deterrent punishment.
The conviction was delivered yesterday during an open court session held at the Napak Grade One Magistrate’s Court compound, an outreach hearing organised by International Justice Mission Uganda with support from the Government of Ireland.
Court heard that in April, Anna Naru used a hot knife to inflict severe burns on her daughter, causing injuries that prosecutors said are permanent and likely to leave the child with lasting psychological trauma.
The State told the court that the offence fell under the “rarest of the rare” category and called for a harsh sentence, arguing that aggravated torture attracts a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Grade One Magistrate Mugisa Abasaija, while delivering judgment, said the injuries inflicted on the child were “terrible,” noting that it was particularly disturbing that they were caused by a mother who should have been the child’s protector.
Naru, who pleaded guilty, asks the court for forgiveness, saying she only realised the gravity of her actions after injuring her daughter. However, the court rejected the plea, with Magistrate Mugisa ruling that releasing her would pose a risk to other children in the household.
By URN
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