Army officer sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexual assault

July 2023

14-year-old Hana* in Uganda recently received justice.

Hana was sexually assaulted by a serving army officer on multiple occasions last year. The man was also well-known to Hana’s family – showing that he both abused his position of power and his position of trust.

When IJM took on Hana’s case, the accused officer had resisted police arrest with the help of his colleagues - even drawing a gun.

The army conducted an independent investigation and found that there was evidence to try the accused.

Braving a military courtroom and facing intimidating officers dressed in army green fatigues, Hanna, supported by IJM, boldly testified against the perpetrator.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison. “This court finds the testimony of the victim to be truthful,” the judgment reads in part.

After the verdict was read, Hana smiled with relief. 

“I believe this sentence will send a strong message out to the community that abuse of children is a crime,” said Florence Lora Atim, IJM Uganda Legal Coordinator.

*Pseudonym. To protect IJM survivors, we have included photos that do not depict actual victims where appropriate. Consent gathered for all images