The Court of Appeal affirmed a 20-year prison sentence for Michael Othieno, who was convicted of defiling a nine-year-old girl within the Faith in Action International Ministries Church. The incident, which occurred in Kalule zone, Kawempe Division, had shocked the community.
Othieno, 21 at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty on January 1, 2019, after spending two years and five months in Luzira Prison. The prosecution revealed that he had intercepted the girl on her way to a neighborhood shop, taking her to a church where he committed the crime. The victim reported the incident to her mother, leading to Othieno’s arrest a week later.
Despite appealing the sentence on grounds of improper evaluation of the plea bargain agreement, the appeal was dismissed by Justices Cheborion Barishaki, Hellen Obura, and Eva Luswata. They emphasized that the severity of the crime, the age of the victim, and the appellant’s failure to protect the child warranted the upheld sentence.
The justices highlighted that the trial judge, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, had carefully considered all factors before delivering the initial sentence on October 19, 2019. They stressed that such reprehensible acts would not be tolerated in society, affirming the importance of the court’s decision.