Man jailed 45 years for sodomising four male juveniles, three are under 10

Court in Kampala has jailed a man for 45 years after being convicted of sodomising four male juveniles; two aged 8, one 9 and another 13 years old .

While sentencing Simon Twesigye alias Tadius, 27, High Court Judge Michael Elubu, explained that the convict is a sexual predator whose actions traumatized and had long-lasting effects on the victims.

Prosecution contended that Twesigye between 2016 and July 2019, performed a sexual act on the four male juveniles at Kamwokya Church Zone in Kampala District where he lived with the victims. He was earning a living in the same zone by selling water, soda and passion fruit juice.

The court ruled that prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the four juveniles were below the age of fourteen years at the time.

“From his demeanour and consistency of evidence, this court has no doubt that *M.R (not real names) was a reliable witness telling the truth. Besides the evidence followed a constant pattern with the testimony of *A.O who said the accused always called a number of his friends into the room,” Justice Elubu ruled.

The judge also dismissed Twesigye’s claims that it was a grudge between one of the victim’s sisters whom he denied a job thus framing him. But the judge reasoned that his claim was an afterthought and not true since no witness had mentioned the grudge.

“In this case, therefore, when the convict placed his penis between the thighs of the victims’ for his sexual gratification, he clearly performed a sexual act,” Justice Elubu ruled.

“Although *L.S was the youngest victim and his evidence was not taken on oath, he was the most steadfast of the victim-witnesses in this case. He struck me as intelligent and truthful. His evidence was never shaken in cross-examination, it was him who reported the matter to his mother leading to the arrest of the convict. It was only after the arrest that the other victims rose up to speak,” he added.

The judge also noted that it was the evidence that all the prosecution witnesses noted that the convict was arrested at a point when he was trying to escape which is not the conduct of an innocent person.

The court also relied on the victim’s evidence that Twesige called them to his room, got out his phone and showed them pornographic movies and thereafter got out his penis and took turns on each boy by placing his penis between their thighs.

“I saw a white discharge from the penis of the accused. It appears that he ejaculated. On another occasion, the convict called *M.R into his shop and asked him to sell water for him, he took him behind his fridge and asked him to bend over,” one of the victims testified. 

Prosecution led by Mr Timothy Amerit had asked the court for life imprisonment during mitigation citing that such actions are very rampant and the victims were juveniles.