KAMPALA, Uganda — A 16-year-old boy in Uganda has been sentenced to the maximum of three years in jail with no right to appeal after pleading guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, whom he met online.
The boy, whose name was withheld due to his age at the time of the crime, received the sentence Tuesday from Justice Margaret Mutonyi of the High Court’s Criminal Division in Kampala. While acknowledging the gravity of the crime, the judge noted that the maximum punishment for a juvenile offender in Uganda is three years.
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“This case falling under the category of the rarest of the rare, the court is also agreeing with the prosecution that he deserves the maximum the law provides for juvenile offenders despite his plea of guilty,” Justice Mutonyi stated in her ruling on April 16, which was reported Wednesday.
Justice Mutonyi also expressed concern about the current juvenile justice system, saying it “does not dispense sufficiently tough sanctions to serve as a deterrent and provide accountability to victims of crime and society.”
Court documents revealed that 23-year-old Latifah Wotali visited the 16-year-old at his home in Wakiso District on April 17, 2024, after meeting him online. Once Wotali was settled, the boy allegedly increased the volume of music, sprayed a substance in her face to impair her vision, and then attacked her with a hammer and a machete. He then dragged her body outside near a dog house.
According to court records, the boy cleaned the house, burned his blood-stained clothes, and disposed of them. He also allegedly threw Wotali’s identification card, shoes, phone, and the weapons into a pit latrine before acting as if nothing had happened. His brother later discovered the body, and the boy confessed to the killing. He was arrested at his sister’s residence after initially escaping.
The 16-year-old claimed he killed Wotali after an argument, and investigators found evidence of drug use. However, medical tests ruled out sexual assault.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Mutonyi deducted the 11 months and seven days the boy had already spent in detention. She ordered that upon turning 18, he be transferred to an adult facility to complete the remainder of his sentence, which is two years and 23 days.
The judge emphasized that the severity of the crime warranted a custodial sentence to provide some semblance of justice and deter future offenses.
Justice Mutonyi also raised concerns about the increasing number of juvenile offenders involved in violent crimes and suggested that relevant ministries should re-evaluate punitive measures for such cases. She noted the limitations of the Kampiringisa National Rehabilitation Centre for violent juvenile offenders due to inadequate security.
Furthermore, Justice Mutonyi highlighted the safety risks associated with online dating, as Wotali was killed on her first in-person meeting with the boy. She urged individuals engaging in online dating to take precautions, such as meeting in public places and informing friends or family about their dates.
“As many people try to engage in online dating, they need to know that many have met their death on the very first date,” Justice Mutonyi warned.
