Man Gets 68-Year Jail Term for Defiling & Infecting 15 Year Old Girl With AIDS

Charles Kikulwe, a resident of Rakai district is to spend 68 years in jail for defiling and infecting a 15-year-old girl with HIV/ Aids.

Charles Kikulwe in court shortly before he was convicted

Kikulwe appeared on Tuesday before Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli who found him guilty.

Earlier on prosecution led by Anna Kiiza, a state prosecutor told court that in January 2011 at Kibutamu village in Lwankoni Sub County Rakai district, Kikulwe defiled a 15- year- old girl and impregnated her.

She said the suspect intercepted the victim at around 8am in the morning on her way to Kibutamu Primary school and dragged her to the bush.

Kiiza said the victim asked the suspect where he was taking her, but he ordered her to keep quiet. On the reaching the bush, the suspect defiled his victim and ordered her not to disclose what had happened.

Kiiza says that teachers noticed the victim’s pregnancy after several months and notified her parents.

The victim was taken to Kalisizo referral hospital where Dr. Grace Kyasiima examined her and disclosed that she was 36 days pregnant.

She was tasked to disclose who was behind her pregnancy forcing her to confess that she was defiled by Kikulwe.

The suspect was picked up and subjected to two medical tests by Josephine Gwayambadde of Uganda Care, which showed that he was HIV/positive.

During the hearing, Kikulwe behaved like a lunatic to draw sympathy from court in vain. Prosecution lined up five witnesses including Edward Kyakuwa, the victim’s father.

Kyakuwa told that Kikulwe was his very good friend and it didn’t occur to him that he could do such a thing to his daughter.

He told court that after learning that, the suspect had defiled his daughter they reached an agreement that he would take full responsibility but he fled on learning that police was looking for him.

Kiiza asked court to find the suspect guilty and hand him a deterrent sentence so as to protect young girls from such unkind people.

She said the victim was likely to suffer psychological and physical torture throughout her life because the child will remain a constant reminder in her life.

Lawrence Yawe, the defense lawyer asked court to consider the fact that Kikulwe was a first time offender and the three years and four months he had spent on remand.

Before her ruling Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli asked the suspect who was dressed in green T-shirt if he wanted court to do for him anything in vain.

In her ruling, Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli found the suspect guilty. She noted that, the suspect had failed to demonstrate to court that he was remorseful for his crime and therefore convicted him to 68 years in jail.