MWANZA: KWIMBA District Court has sentenced Mashauri Shauri (20), a resident of Mwankuba Hamlet in Kwimba District, to life imprisonment after being found guilty of sodomising a four-year-old child (name withheld), who is the child of his uncle.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday by the Senior Resident Magistrate John Jagadi in criminal case number 31963 of 2024.
Earlier, the court was informed by government prosecutor Mr Juma Kiparo that the accused committed the offence on October 27 this year in Nyambiti Village, located in Kwimba District in Mwanza Region, contrary to section 154(1)(a) and (2) of the Penal Code, Chapter 16, revised in 2022.
Due to the serious nature of the offence and its impact on the community, the prosecutor requested the court to hear evidence from two witnesses, including the victim and the parent of the victim, after presenting the preliminary hearing of the case.
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The accused who was first brought to court on November 11, this year, was charged with the sodomy offence.
After listening to four prosecution witnesses, Magistrate Jagadi concluded that the evidence presented against the accused was strong and the prosecution had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
When allowed by the court to present his defence, the accused pleaded with the court for leniency, asking for his release, claiming that it was his first offence.
However, the prosecutor Kiparo strongly opposed the plea and urged the court to impose a severe punishment, arguing that the acts were not only inhumane but also extraordinarily cruel.
Magistrate Jagadi explained that the severity of the sentence was not only justified by the law but also necessary to protect vulnerable members of society, especially children, from such inhumane and cruel acts.
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He further noted that crimes of that nature cause immeasurable harm to the victims and their families, leaving lasting psychological and emotional scars.
He said the judgment he issued against the accused person serves as a warning to others who will commit similar offence, highlighting the seriousness with which such cases are treated by the judicial system.
The magistrate concluded its session by officially sentencing the accused to life imprisonment, ensuring justice for the victim and will be the way for the society to combat such acts.
