The High court has confirmed charges of aggravated child trafficking against Portuguese national, Carlos Alberto De Almesia E Costa who was dragged to court for sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl.
Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire confirmed the two charges against Carlos after finding that the evidence brought by the prosecution, led by Joseph Kyomuhendo during the pretrial hearing, sufficiently substantiates them.
According to the prosecution, between April 2020 and May 2020, at Busibante Zone in Kira municipality, Wakiso district, Carlos received and harboured a sixteen-year-old primary six pupil of Kira primary school. The prosecution claims that this was done by exploiting the victim’s vulnerable position or through the exchange of payments or benefits with the victim’s parents to gain their consent to exploit the victim.
Carlos is also charged with maintaining and harbouring the victim in a forced or child marriage. The prosecution alleges that in August 2019, Carlos resided in Ntinda with his girlfriend Sharon. After their separation, Carlos moved to Najjera in April 2020, where he rented an apartment.
It was there that he met the victim’s mother, who used to sell tea by the roadside with her daughters, and he became their regular customer. In late April, Carlos reportedly asked the victim’s mother to allow her daughter to go to his residence and wash his clothes. However, the mother suggested that Carlos brings the clothes to their home, where they would wash them and he could pick them up, as they had developed a friendship.
According to the records, Carlos visited their makeshift wooden home and considered it unsuitable for human habitation. As a result, he allegedly advised them to find another house at his expense. They later rented a two-bedroom house for Shs 500,000 per month, where Carlos, the victim’s siblings and her parents all lived. Carlos occupied one room with the victim while the parents occupied the other.
During their stay, it is alleged that Carlos would move from his bed to the victim’s bed at night, kissing her. When the victim’s younger sister left the room, Carlos allegedly began sexually abusing the victim. When the victim reported the matter to her mother, she advised her to talk to her father. However, when the father was informed, he remained silent. According to the evidence before the court, Carlos complained again about the size of the house and rented a three-bedroom house at Shs 1 million. In this new house, each family member had their bed.
When Carlos allegedly complained about being isolated from the children, the parents allowed him to share a bed with the children, where he continued to abuse the victim. It is also alleged that Carlos took the victim to Jinja one day and showed her explicit videos. When the victim refused to engage in sexual activities with him, Carlos locked the rest of the family members outside the house.
