MUKONO – Ms Annet Namatta a woman accused of feeding her stepdaughter food mixed with her menstrual blood has on Tuesday, September 17, pleaded guilty.
Ms Namatta a resident of Kitega village, Mukono district was arrested after her husband Mr Yunus Lukungu accused her of feeding his 13-year-old daughter Agnes Naava with contaminated food.
The accused appeared before court where the Prosecutor Ms Irene Namboozo was to produce witnesses when she raised her hand and pleaded guilty before the court despite the fact that on August 7, she had denied the accusation against her.
Ms Namatta then took court through the events that had transpired.
“It all started because my husband stopped me from punishing his child whenever she had done wrong. On that day she played with the neighbours till 10pm and when she came back home I caned her twice,” she narrated.
“Naava reported me to her father that I had caned her. My husband then beat me badly in front of the children and yet at the time I was three months pregnant,” she lamented.
“I started bleeding, out of anger I mixed some of the blood with the food after my husband had left,” she told court.
According to the charges that the Grade One Magistrate Patience Koburunga read:
“It is stated that on June 6, Namatta is accused of putting her menstrual blood in her stepdaughter Agnes Naava’s food knowing it could cause diseases according to Section 171 of the penal code.”
Without wastage of time Ms Namatta pleaded guilty to the charges asking to enter the plea bargaining court procedure. She also asked for a lenient sentence considering the fact that she is a mother and that she is still bleeding as a result of her husband’s beatings.
H/W Koburunga adjourned the matter to September 26, for conviction.
Background
Ms Namatta was taken to police by her husband Mr Lukungu upon learning about the shocking incident from his neighbours who reported her saying she had served her stepdaughter with contaminated food and threatened to strangle her if she didn’t eat it.
Ms Namata had earlier pleaded guilty to her husband Mr Lukungu and the Kitega Women council to the accusations before she was arrested and also apologized requesting for forgiveness which was all in vain.
She was then released after two days after her arrest on police bond but had to report to police on specific dates however she went into hiding in Katosi Landing site where she was caught and re-arrested.
