Kapchorwa woman charged with trafficking, torturing nephew

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The police say they have arrested a woman in Kapchorwa district over allegedly trafficking in children.

Florence Nabutono was arrested and charged with trafficking in persons and labour exploitation after it emerged she had visited Butibi village and requested to go with a nephew identified as Kibisa Dickson, 14, to assist her at her home.

"Preliminary investigations show that the moment the boy reached the home, she started using him as a cattle keeper and a house help amidst torture," Fred Enanga, the Uganda Police spokesperson said.

He said however that last week, the suspect grabbed a cup of hot milk and poured it on the boy.

"As if that was not enough, the suspect picked a stick and caned the victim," he said while speaking during the weekly security briefing on June 24, 2024.

He said after the act, the suspect subjected the victim to further mistreatment when he forced him to go and work in the garden causing concern from the residents.

"A concerned resident of Kapwiroho village in Kaserem sub-county decided to bring this matter to the attention of the police," Enanga said, adding that when they acted, they found the victim with several injuries on his body.

According to the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2009,  a person commits the offence of aggravated trafficking where the victim is a child and where the perpetrator uses a pretext of adoption, guardianship, fostering, and other orders to children for purposes of exploitation.

If found guilty, one is liable on conviction to imprisonment for five years or a penalty of one hundred and twenty currency points or both.

On subsequent conviction for the same offence, a person is liable to imprisonment of seven years without the option of a fine.