Gulu Chief Magistrate, Francis Matenga Dawa has sentenced to three years a woman who disappeared with a two weeks old baby from her parents in order to please her husband who desperately demanded a baby.
Court heard that Phiona Amarorwot 18, a resident Apol Girigiri in Lii Sub0county stole Kinyera Gabriel a child to Isaac Okeny and Nancy Akwero, residents of Pakiya village in the same sub-county. The crime was committed on 4th June 2021 at around 6 pm.
Amarorowot had earlier asked Kinyera’s parents to offer her a place to rest before she could continue with her journey but instead disappeared with the baby through the bush.
She was arrested the following day in Cel Peke B. village also in Lii Sub County after a thorough search and detained in Koch Goma Police station. She was later transferred to Nwoya Central Police Station.
Appearing before court on 10th June 2021, the Gulu chief magistrate Matenga who presided over a sitting in Nwoya Court Hall, the convict pleaded guilty and asked for a pardon.
“I didn’t mean to commit the offense. I just wanted o bow to demand from my husband who was giving me a lot of pressure to bear him a child”, said Amarorwot.
The convict will spend three years in Nwoya government prison.
Parents of the child speak
Okeny, the child’s father noted that he was traumatized for the two days of the missing child.
“I asked myself why my baby could be targeted. Wasit meant for rutual sacrifice? It paxxled me”, says Okeny
Akwero, the child’s mother believes that the recovery of her son was just God’s blessing
Akwero now wants Amarorwot to be barred from accessing the village even after completing her sentences.
“Our local leaders should really come out openly and informed the family of Amamrorwot that she is no longer wanted back in Lii sub county else we may see a repeat of the same”, says Akwero.
Reports say, it was not the first time Amarorwot was arrested for stealing babies.
In 2019 she was arrested at Bweyale in Kiryandongo district over syealing a child from Oyam district.
