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‘Light sentence for ritual murderers’
The parents of Anthony Ssali, Write Rehema Nakyomu & Kembabazi Doreen
Instead, 66 year old Frank Mugerwa and his wife Winnie Mugerwa 62, were this week committed to for 26 months in Luzira prison by High court judge Jane Alividza, after they expressed remorse.
Buganda road Judge Jane Alividza this week passed her judgement in a protracted trial of the murder of 8-year old Vincent who was killed by Ssali in a suspected ritual murder in an alleged attempt to heal a mental illness.
But Edward Ssekandi, the father of the deceased, said the Mugerwas conspired in the murder of the their son Vincent because they helped Ssali to hide the body in a nearby garden instead of reporting the matter to the police. Ssali was sentenced to 50 years in Luzira prison for the murder.
His parents pleaded for lighter sentences arguing that he did it because he was mentally sick. The judge’s decision suggests that Ssali was normal.
Ssekandi said: “Ssali pretended to be mad and he cited the other people who got involved in the slaughtering of Vincent and how they did it.”
Court heard that Ssali murdered little Vincent on October 5, 2011 and put his body in a sack, and hid him in a nearby garden.
Vincent was slaughtered and his body was put in a 50kg suck and later on the body was hidden in a nearby garden to lose the evidence.
According to the father of the deceased, the way this young boy was killed scary and Ssali the murderer should be put in life imprisonment since gallon was put on a ban.
Standing in the dock at Buganda road court, the Mugerwas appealed for mercy and forgiveness from the family of the deceased. The Mugerwas cited health problems of Ssali’s parents and trauma they have gone through including the burning of their house by a mob, as grounds why they deserved a lighter sentence.
In committing Ssali to 50 years, Judge Alividza advised that he undergoes a thorough medical examination to see whether he is capable of living with other people and not to harm them, including in prison.
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