Barmaid sentenced to seven years for child theft
Nov 15, 2018
Dafin Auma, 19, a resident of Teso Bar in Adyel division, Lira municipality was arrested on July 27 after stealing a three-year-old girl from their home in Angwetangwet in Adekokwok sub county, outside Lira town.
COURT
The chief magistrate of Lira has sentenced a self-confessed child thief to seven years imprisonment under the plea bargain programme during the ongoing special court session aimed at clearing over 80 cases of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) in Lira magisterial area.
Dafin Auma, 19, a resident of Teso Bar in Adyel division, Lira municipality was arrested on July 27 after stealing a three-year-old girl from their home in Angwetangwet in Adekokwok sub county, outside Lira town.
When the case came for trial during the special session before chief magistrate Janeva Natukunda on Wednesday, Auma opted to plead guilty under plea bargain arrangement and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
The child's mother Kay Alobo however told New Vision later that she was not happy with the verdict because the woman could have killed her child if she was not arrested. "I wanted the woman to be given a more stringent sentence because with this, she may come out soon and steal another child," she said.
Alobo narrated that she was in the house ironing clothes while her daughter, Faith Alobo was playing with other children when the convict came on a boda boda and stopped at a neighbours place and proceeded to her place on foot.
She mingled with other children and started playing with them as she tried to carry the child but the child resisted three times.
The convict then went to a shop and bought some juice which she used to lure the child and carried her away.
A witness Sarah Akullo said the convict went to her place looking very dirty and requested for water to bathe which she gave her. After bathing, the convict picked her dress and put on saying she would bring it back but she declined.
The convict insisted that she can go with her to collect the dress and as they leave, they met a woman who knew the baby and asked where they got the baby but the convict dropped the baby and started running. She was chased and arrested and taken to Police.
At Police, Auma said she was sent by a one Peter Okello of Teso Bar who was not arrested. She said they had planned to kidnap any baby girl of 3-10 years and that Okello had promised to give her sh18m.
The special court session is taking place in different parts of the country aimed at clearing 1, 000 cases of sexual and gender based violence within a period of 40 days according to Solomon Muyita, Senior Communications Officer of the Judiciary.
Muyita told journalists last week that the judiciary decided to come up with the special session because about 62% of cases in their system are related to SGBV pending trial.
He said with support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), they are carrying out the special session in 13 locations in different parts of the country effective last Monday.
The chief Magistrate, Janeva Natukunda said in former Lira Magisterial area (Lango sub region), there are over 700 cases of SGBV but she moved around and persuaded those who want to take advantage of the plea bargain to be included for trial.
"The 80 cases listed is just a drop in the ocean," she said.