Mother of murdered child collapses in court
Angel Faith Akol fainted and fell from her seat in the High Court in Soroti after graphic photographs of her daughter's body were presented as evidence.
Prison staff and relatives assisted Angel Faith Akol after she collapsed in court during the trial of the suspects accused of murdering her daughter. (Photo by Godfrey Ojore)
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The mother of five-year-old Joan Faith Apio, who was killed at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in Soroti on Thursday, July 30, collapsed during the trial of the suspects accused of murdering her daughter.
Angel Faith Akol fainted and fell from her seat in the High Court in Soroti after graphic photographs of her daughter's body were presented as evidence.
It all started when Scene of Crime Officer Emmanuel Ekebu displayed photographs showing the deep cut to Apio's throat during the trial.
Ekebu, who took the photographs during the post-mortem examination at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, presented the images before court. The emotional evidence left many people in the packed courtroom in tears.
A Prisons Service officer, together with a police officer and volunteers, carried Angel Faith Akol out of court after she collapsed. (Photo by Godfrey Ojore)
Earlier in the day, a scene of crime officer presented before the High Court in Soroti a five-litre yellow jerrycan allegedly used to wash the body of Apio inside the school toilet where her body was recovered.
The officer, Ekebu, attached to Soroti East Police Division, also presented photographs of a pair of green slippers recovered from the toilet. The slippers were identified as those worn by the deceased, who was a pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School.
The hearing attracted a large crowd, with the courtroom filled. Many members of the public followed the proceedings from a tent erected within the court premises.
Two more prosecution witnesses are expected to be cross-examined before the session.o
The case is being heard by High Court Judge Boniface Wamala.
Those standing trial are: Joseph Okedi, 43, the director of the school; his wife, Suzan Vivian Ariokot, 38; John Bosco Obotol, 34, a police officer attached to Crime Intelligence at Soroti City East Division Police Station and Okedi's younger brother; James Edoket, 32, the school's headteacher; Valentin Opio, 37, the school cook; and Osula Adongo, the school matron.
They all face charges of murder they allegedly committed on February 5, 2025, at the school premises. All six denied the charges.