LIRA, Uganda – A chief magistrate’s court has sentenced a couple to a combined 13 years in prison after they forced a 15-year-old girl to eat human feces in a shocking attack that the presiding magistrate described as “serious and cruel.”
Walter Otim, 37, received a 10-year sentence, while his wife, Collin Otim, 35, was handed a three-year term following the July 27, 2026 incident in Ireda Lumumba Cell, Lira City East Division.
Chief Magistrate Joe Fay Adoko, delivering the verdict on the morning of May 7, 2026, noted that the offense caused lasting harm to the victim and violated both legal and moral standards.
“The offence was a grave violation of the victim’s dignity and safety,” Adoko said in his judgment. “The punishment should serve as a warning to others with similar intentions.”
The magistrate further observed that the convicts showed no remorse and that the abuse inflicted on the teenager would likely affect her for the rest of her life.
Court proceedings revealed that the victim had visited a local salon for hair treatment. After she requested to use the washroom, she was directed to an area behind the salon.
It was there that Collin Otim confronted her, accusing the girl of defecating near her home. She immediately assaulted the teenager using a wire before calling her husband, Walter Otim, who returned to the scene.
Prosecutors told the court that Walter Otim then forced the girl to eat human feces while threatening to kill her.
The court described the incident as “extremely degrading and violent,” stating that such conduct warranted a custodial sentence both as punishment and as a deterrent against similar acts in society.
While Adoko noted that the offense could have attracted a life sentence, the court considered several factors in determining the final penalties, including the manner in which the offense was committed, the age of the victim, and the long-term psychological impact.
Walter Otim’s 10-year sentence was reduced after deducting time already spent on remand, leaving him with 9 years, 11 months, and 16 days to serve.
Collin Otim’s three-year term was similarly adjusted, leaving her with 2 years, 11 months, and 6 days remaining.
The court further ordered each convict to pay a fine of UGX 5 million (approximately USD 1,350) within three months.
The magistrate emphasized that the incident had shocked both the court and the local community, noting that the cruel nature of the offense warranted a strong judicial response.
Legal observers say the ruling sends a clear message that Uganda’s courts will treat acts of extreme degradation against minors with the full weight of the law.
The couple are residents of Ireda Lumumba Cell, the same community where the attack took place. It remains unclear whether they intend to appeal the sentences.
