The International Crimes Division of the High Court (ICD) in Uganda has sentenced a pastor to life imprisonment after he was convicted of six counts of aggravated trafficking of children and six counts of aggravated defilement.
Mr. Didas Mpagi, popularly known as Bakulu, who was the headmaster of Real Infant Primary School in Wakiso District when he committed the offenses between 2018 and 2019, was told by the court that he would spend the rest of his natural life behind bars for sodomizing at least 13 pupils.
Investigations into the case commenced when concerned residents tipped off the police. When the investigation ran its course, it was reportedly established that Mpagi was not only a headmaster at the school but also a warden for the male pupils. It was also revealed that he was sleeping in the same dormitory with his victims who were all male and that he sexually exploited them at night.
The investigations also showed that Mpagi cherry-picked his victims from families which were economically weak. He is said to have targeted them to stay in the boarding section of the school for his own carnal pleasures, promising to get them sponsors and scholarships.
The prosecution further told the court that once the children were in his school and dormitory, Mpagi threatened to stop paying their school fees or cancel their scholarship if they did not obey his commands.
“The victims revealed that they were required to spend some nights in the accused’s bed and whilst there, the victims were required to sleep naked. The accused would massage their bodies, including the penis. The accused would then fondle the genitals of victims with his fingers, and thereafter he would practice oral and anal sex on them”.
The prosecution contended that Mr. Mpagi held out monetary benefits with the intention of making his victims submissive and sex slaves. It further said Mr. Mpagi, who was found to be “28 years and of sound mind”, created a sense of insecurity among his victims.
When the police conducted a search at his home, a number of pieces of evidence were found. These included lubricating gels, creams, love letters from the victims, assorted documents, techno mobile phone, flash disk, among other items.
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The presiding Judge said: “I have considered the submissions of both counsels. The convict is indeed a first-time offender, he is a married man with children. These are important in mitigation and should be considered so. Court also noted that he has been on remand for two and a half years but that notwithstanding, the offenses of trafficking and aggravated defilement are grave and convicts shouldn’t be handled with glove fingers”.
The judge further noted that the accused was the custodian of these children. According to the Judge, Mr. Mpagi had received them from very poor families and had given assurance that the children would be looked after properly.
“Parents were happy that they had got a fees relief not knowing that they had handed their children to a defiler. Instead of giving the children what was expected of a teacher, the convict took upon himself to rubbish them, causing injury and permanent trauma. Such should not be left in the circulation of people’s sons if they are to be safe”.
According to the judge, a teacher who slanders the government that the syllabus of the school includes lessons on kissing, just to cause the children to give in to his sexual exploits calls for a sentence that will be a deterrent to others who may have intentions of sexually exploiting minors.
“I sentence the convict on each and every count from 1-12 to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life. These sentences to run concurrently”. pastor pastor pastor
The judge said Mpagi has 14 days to challenge his decision in the Court of Appeal if he’s not satisfied.
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