Confessed defiler says it was 'work of satan'

PIC: Father of six Johnasan Omoding was ridden off to court by police to face the law for his confessed act. (Credit: Tolbert Edait)

By Julius Ojula & Tolbert Edait

A 33-year-old father of six has admitted he defiled a four-year-old baby in a remote village in Ngora district, saying he was driven into the act by "satan".

A mob had tried to lynch Johnasan Omoding after the child's mother found her underwear with blood and semen around her private parts.

But police intervened in time and arrested the suspect, who later confessed to committing the offence.

It emerged that he had given the child and another one a sachet of local gin (waragi) to drink. It is not clear where the children's parents were at the time.

Later, Naume Ongaro said she found her child emitting a strong scent of alcohol and that when she asked if someone had been with her, she mentioned Omoding.

"We got the baby smelling waragi. I was scared when I saw blood and sperms around the private parts of my child," she said.

Once in police custody, the suspect confessed to giving the children alcohol and then defiling one of them.

"I am not denying [defiling the baby], it's true. Satan convinced me to force those children to drink waragi since they were playing on my legs when I was picking groundnuts and I later carried Ongaro's child to the bed to have sex with her," he told local police.

Earlier, the area LC3 chairman Stephen Emorut had been notified of a group of people that were attacking a man reported to have defiled a toddler.

Police were called in to intervene, and arrested the man later identified as Omoding.

The officer in charge of investigations at Ngora Central Police Station, James Okodel, confirmed the incident. He said they were investigating the case and that the confessed defiler would be presented in court.

Meanwhile, the officer in-charge of the child and family protection unit in Ngora district, Florence Asero condemned the act and cautioned parents not to leave their young children alone at home for their safety.

"Nowadays people are looking for riches in dubious ways especially in human sacrifices and their target is young children. They are a target of defilement too."

Reports of child abuse are frequent in Ngora district, with area police saying they receive several cases of defilement of girls between the age of 10 and 15.

What residents say about the incident

John Okiror: "Removing one grass from the roof will not cause it to leak so such a man should be isolated from the community."

Josephine Abeja: "This man should be checked to establish his mental state. He could also be motivated by witchcraft that might have made him to go for a child and leave women of his age."

Christine Akiror. "I request for proper justice and the suspect should be taken to Luzira Prison for life imprisonment."