We had been in prison for over 10 years - Justice Centres Uganda
Justice Centres Uganda

We had been in prison for over 10 years

Our clients had been on remand for 11 years having been indicted for double murder of a woman and child. Most of their closest relatives died while they were in prison and they lost touch with their families. Various criminal sessions in which they had been cause-listed yielded no fruit.

On that fateful day 11 years ago, our clients went on an evening stroll and later had some drinks at a village tavern. However while leaving home, unbeknownst to them, the path they had taken was the same path the victims (45 year old woman and 1-year old child) had taken while going to the garden and the clients ended up being identified by a bystander. That is why they were arrested and charged with murder in January 2012. The husband and father to the deceased were the complainants.

In November 2021, these two gentlemen were luckily identified to receive free legal representation by a JCU advocate at the Mubende Centre, during a prison outreach to Munaina Prison, Mubende District. While representing them in court, thehe JCU advocate tried to get in touch with any of the accused’s relatives to be witnesses but failed to find any and yet the prosecution led a team of seven witnesses in proof of their case during the court hearings. JCU did its best and at the end of five trials, the two accused persons were acquitted of murder.

They were extremely grateful for JCU’s commitment to represent them for free and secure their release after having over 10 years of their lives wasted in detention on unsubstantiated charges of murder.

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