Rapists Get 60 year Jail Sentence

Justice John Wilson Kwesiga convicted the men at Kabale high court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of rape, murder and robbery.
Four men accused of raping a 19-year-old girl are to spend the next 60 years in jail.  They are Bosco Hamenya, Kabeni Bitwaki, Bosco Habiyaremye and and Gabriel Turimubahe, all residents of Businga Village in Kisoro town council. Justice John Wilson Kwesiga convicted the men at Kabale high court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of rape, murder and robbery. Details of the case are that on 13th May 2010, while at Businga Village in Kisoro town council, the convicts raped 19-year-old Apophia Nyiramugisha.

It is alleged that after raping their victim; the suspects robbed her before strangled her to death. Prosecution led by Rajab Arinaitwe, the Kabale state attorney says that the suspects blindfolded their victim and took turns to rape her. Arinaitwe told court that the suspects robbed 1 million shillings from the shop of their victim and made away with merchandise worth unspecified amount of money. He asked court to give the suspects a maximum sentence saying the deceased was murdered in a brutal manner.

Ezra Bikangiso, the defense lawyer asked court to his clients a lenient sentence saying they had stayed on remand since May 2010. In his ruling, Justice John Wilson Kwesiga said staying in prison was not enough the save the suspects from facing the wrath of the law. He found the suspects guilty of the three counts and convicted them to 20 years in jail for each county. The suspects broke down in tears after the ruling, while the relatives of the deceased celebrated the judgment. Capt. Rtd. Charles Zita, the father of the deceased told Redpepper that he was happy with the judgment.

Zita said despite the fact that his daughter would never return, he is satisfied with the judgment because he believes the convict will learn a lesson during their sixty year stay in prison.  Ezra Bikangiso, the lawyer of the convicts told our reporter outside court that he will wait for instructions from his clients before deciding on whether or not to appeal the ruling.

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