Torture maid gets four-year-jail sentence

By Eddie Ssejjoba

COURT has a handed a four-year jail sentence to house maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, who pleaded guilty to assault of an 18-month-old baby. 

Tumuhiirwe, 22, was captured in a video that went viral battering a helpless toddler – Aneela – who was under her care. 

She had earlier on pleaded guilty to torture charges but the case was transferred to the Chief Magistrate’s court at Buganda Road where fresh charges of assault were read to her. She again pleaded guilty to the charges. 

Before a fully packed court Tumuhiirwe appeared calm and unmoved as she listened to her sentence through a translator, before the Chief Magistrate Lillian Buchana. 

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The victim, 18-month old Aneela wasn’t present in court but her parents, Angella Mbabazi and Erick Kamanzi as well as relatives and friends attended the brief sentence.

The magistrate said Tumuhiirwe did not waste court’s time but expelled her defense when she said she assaulted the baby because she was also tortured by the baby’s mother, saying in her opinion she did not find any justifications for actions between adults would warrant her to involve an innocent baby. 

After the judgement, Tumuhiirwe was taken away by the waiting prison warders but Mbabazi was overcome by emotion and broke down as she left the court room. She was surrounded by friends and relatives who comforted her. 

She later walked hand in hand with her husband before journalists besieged the couple outside court seeking for their comment.

Kamanzi said they would respect the court’s decision saying the baby was in good condition although earlier on Friday he told court that the baby had psychological upsets and would talk in her sleep about the incident.    

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The actions of the maid sparked a plethora of debate across various media platforms – thanks to the exposed video, but she came up bravely and apologized to the parents of the child and to the general public, saying she did not intended to kill the baby. 

"I accept the offence, but I beg court and every person to forgive me for what I did," she said in a fully-packed court after the charges where read to her and had confirmed that she had understood them.

Despite the heavy stamps she had to endure, the Aneela was found to be okay following a medical examination reportedly carried out after the incident.

And while she was found to be fine, many thought her tormentor was mentally disturbed to have done such a thing. But she was subjected to medical tests and established to be of sane mind.