The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Chief Magistrate Court in Lira has sentenced a 27 year old woman to seven years in prison for intentionally infecting her five-year-old step son with HIV.
Collin Odyek was arrested last year after she willingfully and intentionally, knowing that she is HIV positive, used a syringe to draw her blood and injected the minor through his veins while at their home in Ober Kampala, Lira City West Division.
She told the court that she injected the boy to revenge for the way his father Aaron Bua was mistreating her.
Odyek appeared before Samson Lumum Abiti, the Chief Magistrate who sentenced her to seven years in prison. Abiti argued that despite being a first-time offender and appearing remorseful, she committed an inhumane act that deserves a deterrent sentence.
“I note that the convict was very remorseful, she pleaded guilty and did not waste this court’s time but she also said that she injected the boy with her HIV blood so that she retaliates for the mistreatment of his father but this one cannot help the situation because one wrong cannot cure the other one.”
The convict had earlier appeared before the same court and was charged with intentional transmission of HIV contrary to section 43 (1) of the HIV and AIDs Prevention and Control Act.
Hillary Okello, the HIV focal point person at Lira City explains that it takes only 24 hours for the HIV virus to enter the body when the contaminated blood is administered through a cut or injection into the body.
In 2014, Buganda Road Court found guilty a nurse, Rosemary Namubiru who reportedly pricked a baby with a syringe contaminated with HIV-positive blood in the course of treatment.
Namubiru reportedly drew her HIV-positive blood and used the same cannula to prick a toddler that she was treating at Victoria medical centre.
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