A defilement case: Justice served

  FLASHBACK  

By Gladys Kalibbala

Do you remember Moses Atidra, 24, who defiled his five-year-old step-daughter in 2012 at Lugazi Tea Plantation?

Well, New Vision learnt that finally justice was met as this man was in June 2013 convicted and given 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to the offence.

The judgment took place at Mukono High Court where his case was on Ref: CRB 1182/2012.

The defilement story was first published by Saturday Vision on June 27, 2012 when the young girl was admitted in critical condition at Mulago Hospital in Kampala after being referred by Kawol Hospital.

At that time, she was in great pain and had been put on anti-retro virus (ARV) treatment. Matters were worsened by the fact that the victim’s mother, Annet Ayoru, 21, had no money to buy her the necessary food plus other requirements.

Fortunately, Saturday Vision readers responded positively by providing bed-sheets, blanket, clothes, money and many other items.

Atidra had defiled the girl on June 13, 2012 around 3am local time (EAT) at the tea estate where he worked and lived as a casual laborer.

The defiled girl’s mother, who was four months pregnant then, had had run away that night with her two-year-old son to a neighbour’s after a domestic misunderstanding, leaving the young girl (victim) behind, sleeping.

When Ayoru returned in the morning, she found the defiled unconscious and lying in a pool of blood. The panicked mother made an alarm, attracting neighbours who called police.

Atrida was later arrested from his work place.

The operation

According to Dr. Haruna Mwanje of Mulago Hospital, the young girl had developed a condition described as enterovaginal fistula.

“The vagina and large intestine had been punctured forcing faeces to leak through her vagina but we mended her professionally,” he explained.

After a month in hospital, where different people provided assistance to the recovering girl both financially and in terms of moral support, she was discharged.

Vincent Mbabali and Godfrey Kato were among the good Samaritans who represented many Saturday Vision readers in escorting Ayoru (the mother of victim) back to her parents Goido Ezema and Hellen Oguaru of Ayibiri village in Oluko sub-county, Arua district.

The money contributed by the good people was used to buy items for her to start a small shop in order to care for herself as well as her children.

Among the items bought were cassava flour, beans, silver fish (mukene), cooking oil, and many other items. The young mother also intends to sell tea, chapatti, Samosa and groundnuts.

Her father, Ezama, expressed gratitude towards all those who assisted his daughter in Mulago.

That time he had prayed that government sentences the defiler to 100 years in prison because of the trauma he had caused to his granddaughter.

But in truth, 20 years is far better than in some similar cases where defilers are locked up behind bars and are set free after just a few months.

Although we have visited Ayoru’s home this year, a friend in the area who saw her recently said she had delivered well and that her business was progressing although it required more boosting.