A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lira has sentenced a couple to prison for forcing a 15-year-old girl to eat human faeces in what the court described as a cruel and degrading act.
Chief Magistrate Joe Fay Adoko convicted Walter Otim, 42, and his wife, Collin Otim, over the incident that occurred at their home in Ireda Lumumba Cell in Lira City.
Court heard that on July 29, 2025, the teenager had visited a nearby salon to have her hair plaited. While there, she reportedly asked to use a toilet and was directed to an area behind the salon, close to the Otims’ residence.
According to the prosecution, as the girl returned from the area, Collin Otim intercepted her and forced her back behind the building, where she allegedly assaulted her.
The court further heard that Walter Otim later joined his wife and threatened to kill the teenager if she refused to eat feces found at the scene. Fearing for her life, the girl complied.
In his ruling, Adoko described the offence as grave and inhuman, noting that it carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under Ugandan law.
“This offence attracts life imprisonment, but this court has taken into account factors such as the age of the convicts and whether they showed remorse,” Adoko ruled.
The prosecution had asked court to impose a deterrent punishment, arguing that the act subjected the victim to humiliation and psychological trauma.
Walter Otim was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Collin Otim received a three-year jail sentence.
The court also directed that the nine months both convicts had already spent on remand be deducted from their sentences.