Maid remanded for defiling 4-year-old

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Twenty-five-year-old house help Alice Kiiza is on remand in Luzira Prison on charges of aggravated defilement involving a four-year-old child. She appeared Wednesday before High Court Judge Isaac Muwata, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges read for her.

According to the court proceedings, the victim is a four-year-old toddler and resident of Nsasa Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. Details of the case are that in early August 2021, the victim’s mother hired Kiiza and Doreen Khamuka, to look after her children while she was at work.

The court heard that after a few days, the mother examined the security camera footage and observed that the minor was playing in the mud while her brother drank dirty water, while the maids appeared to be preoccupied with their smartphones. She confronted the maids about the situation, and they apologized.

However, she later noticed changes in her children’s behavior, including withdrawal and decreased communication. As per court records, the mother took all three children to a friend’s care, leaving the youngest child with the maids at home.

“However, the youngest one who was left with the maids also changed and was no longer herself. That’s when she realized that something was wrong,” reads the indictment. According to the indictment, on August 12th, 2021, when the maids expressed their desire to leave, the victims disclosed to their mother that the maids had been physically abusive and had inserted a stick into the victim’s vaginas.

“That the mother rushed the victim to the clinic and the medical examination showed that the victim’s vagina was bruised and her hymen was raptured”, adds the indictment. The family reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of Kiiza.

Following examination, Kiiza was found to be of sound mind and was charged accordingly. During the hearing, State Attorney Timothy Amerit stated that he would ask the court to convict Kiiza, arguing that she has no defense for her alleged heinous actions.

Justice Muwata has scheduled the case for hearing on June 22nd, 2023, and remanded Kiiza to Luzira Prison until then. If found guilty of aggravated defilement, the maximum punishment is death.

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