In a shocking incident in Kamuli, Uganda, a 45-year-old man named Julius Bagoole has been sent to prison on charges of aggravated defilement and aggravated trafficking in children. Bagoole, a resident of Kamuli municipality, appeared before the Kamuli Chief Magistrates Court, where he had the charges read to him. Chief Magistrate Hope Namisi subsequently ordered his remand in Kamuli District Government Prison.
The accusations against Bagoole revolve around allegations that he defiled his own daughters. Busoga North Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha stated that Bagoole purportedly committed these offenses, claiming that he was cleansing and protecting the victims from evil or bad spirits. Kasadha explained, “According to our investigations, he would alternate the victims in sexual abuse at different intervals, purporting to be cleansing and protecting them from bad or evil spirits.”
The alarming situation came to light when one of the victims decided to confide in a friend, who promptly alerted her parents. This information led to the matter being reported to Kamuli Central Police Station and eventually resulted in Bagoole’s arrest.
Currently, the accused faces three counts of aggravated defilement and two counts of aggravated trafficking in children. Under Ugandan law, a conviction for aggravated defilement carries a maximum penalty of death. This offense involves engaging in sexual intercourse with a child aged between days old and 14 years. An offender can also face punishment under this charge if they are HIV positive, a blood relative to the victim, a person with authority over the victim, the victim has a disability, or the offender is a serial offender.
