By Obed Kithende
The Kasese High Court has sentenced a 24-year-old Rabson Mugisa Masereka to 30 years in prison for pleading guilty to aggravated defilement.
Court sitting on Monday evening, convened by Hon. Justice Lawrence Tweyanze, the resident judge for Kasese high court circuit heard that on the 2nd day of January, 2022 Masereka sexually assaulted a 13-year girl and subsequently infected her with HIV.
According to the brief facts of the case, Masereka lured the victim and took her to his home where he started involving her in sexual acts for a period of one week without letting her go out of the house.
The act attracted the attention of the victim’s father, who reported the matter to the area LC1 chairperson who proceeded to arrest the suspect who eventually escaped and fled the area and remained on the run for two years until 2024 when he was arrested.
The victim was later diagnosed with HIV and enrolled on the Anti-retroviral drugs.
Appearing before court, Masereka was convicted upon his own plea of guilt.
The victim’s father asked court to award Masereka a life-long jail term. However, Justice Tweyanze ordered Masereka to be imprisoned for 30 years, less of the period of the one and a half years he had spent on remand.
