Court acquits man accused of defiling 13-yr-old

Nov 01, 2016

Justice Wilson Masalu said there was no reason for the victim to wait for 3 years to report the abuse

The High Court in Kampala has set free a man accused of defiling a 13-year-old woman.

Joel Gampande had spent 3 years on remand at Luzira Prison on charges of aggravated defilement of a niece to his wife who was under his guardianship.

Prosecution had alleged that Gampande from 2010 when the victim was 16-years-old until 2013 when she reported the abuse, he was having sexual intercourse with her.

Justice Wilson Masalu on Monday ruled that not only medical examination evidence revealed that the victim's private parts were wide enough and consistent with habitual sexual intercourse but there was no reason for her to wait for 3 years aged 19 to report the said abuse to authorities.

Justice Musene then acquitted Gampande on grounds that since the sexual and marriage consensual age is 18 years, it's unfair to keep holding the accused.

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