MITOOMA – The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mitooma District has started hearing a horrific child torture case involving a stepmother who allegedly forced her 9-year-old stepson to swallow dozens of sewing needles.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The accused, Juliet Tushabomwe, appeared before Chief Magistrate Gibson Muhangi as prosecutors opened their case, with the court already hearing harrowing testimony from four witnesses, including the young victim himself, Samuel Akamumpa.
Samuel told the court that while living with his stepmother at Rweibaare II Cell, Kyanziire Parish, Kashenshero Sub-county, Tushabomwe would wrap sewing needles in paper and force him to swallow them on multiple occasions.
The abuse, which allegedly took place between August 2025 and April 28, 2026, left the boy with severe stomach pain and persistent discomfort after repeatedly ingesting the objects.
The victim further stated that it was only when his aunt, Eunice Birungi, intervened that Samuel finally received medical attention for his harrowing condition.
On May 12, 2026, surgeons at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital successfully removed about 50 sewing needles from Samuel’s stomach during a two-stage surgery that spanned two days.
The eight-hour operation, performed by a team of six health workers including three pediatric surgeons, also recovered pieces of a broken pen that the boy had been forced to swallow.
Speaking after the court session, Sister Rebecca Namuddu, a nurse at Ishaka Adventist Hospital where Samuel was first examined, said her team was overwhelmed by the findings.
“We were shocked by the number of needles found in the child’s stomach. His condition required urgent referral for an operation,” Namuddu said.
The prosecution, led by District State Attorney Caroline Keshuubi, argued that medical findings raised immediate suspicion that the child had been deliberately tortured, leading police to later arrest and charge Tushabomwe in connection with the alleged acts.
Outside court, the victim’s aunt, Eunice Birungi, welcomed the start of the hearing and expressed her family’s appreciation for the court process while remaining hopeful that justice would be served for their child.
Meanwhile, Chief Magistrate Gibson Muhangi adjourned the case and remanded Tushabomwe to custody until July 2, 2026, when the court will reconvene for the next hearing.
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