https://sputnikglobe.com/20221222/us-couple-charged-with-torturing-child-in-uganda-faces-life-in-prison-1105696761.html
US Couple Charged With Torturing Child in Uganda Faces Life in Prison
US Couple Charged With Torturing Child in Uganda Faces Life in Prison
Sputnik International
A US couple who were arrested in Uganda on suspicion of severely torturing a foster boy also face charges of aggravated children trafficking, which if they found guilty carries the life sentence
2022-12-22T16:05+0000
2022-12-22T16:05+0000
2022-12-22T16:05+0000
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A US couple who was arrested in Uganda on suspicion of severely torturing a foster boy is also facing charges of aggravated child trafficking, which, if found guilty, carries a life sentence, media reported, citing the prosecution.The two 32-year-olds, Nicholas Spencer and Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, have been detained in Uganda since December 9 after being accused of torturing a kid who was residing in their house in Kampala, Uganda under foster care. The pair supposedly kept the boy in an unheated, cramped room without clothes.According to the court filing, the foster child had been "recruited, transported and maintained" for the purpose of "exploitation." An employee at the couple's house informed the police about the situation.The maximum sentence for the first charge, aggravated child torture, is life in prison.The couple has entered a not guilty plea to the charge. The case will be sent to a higher court, where the couple will have the opportunity to enter a plea to the additional charge. Both of them remain in custody.The couple's lawyer reportedly referred to the investigation as a "fishing expedition" being carried out by the authorities and claimed that they lacked any supporting evidence. Furthermore, the lawyer claimed the additional allegation "doesn't make sense." The prosecution stated in court that the American couple had been living with three foster children, including the child in question. The police are currently taking care of the other two kids. The Spencers are accused of keeping the children and exploiting them to extort money from benefactors, which gives the case a whiff of child trafficking. Moreover, because they lacked work permits, it is unclear what the couple was doing in Uganda. It is legal for foreigners to adopt children in Uganda, per existing law.
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uganda, foster children, ugandan police, children trafficking, child torture, us citizens in africa
uganda, foster children, ugandan police, children trafficking, child torture, us citizens in africa
US Couple Charged With Torturing Child in Uganda Faces Life in Prison
Kirill Kurevlev
Managing Editor
A 10-year-old boy was allegedly kept in a room equipped with cameras so that the couple could keep an eye on his "stubbornness" and "hyperactive behavior," for which they were previously charged with aggravated torture. They have entered a not guilty plea to the charge.
A US couple who was arrested in Uganda on suspicion of severely torturing a foster boy is also facing charges of aggravated child trafficking, which, if found guilty, carries a life sentence, media reported, citing the prosecution.
The two 32-year-olds, Nicholas Spencer and Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, have been detained in Uganda since December 9 after being
accused of torturing a kid who was residing in their house in Kampala, Uganda under foster care. The pair supposedly kept the boy in an unheated, cramped room without clothes.
According to the court filing, the foster child had been "recruited, transported and maintained" for the purpose of "exploitation." An employee at the couple's house informed the police about the situation.
The maximum sentence for the first charge, aggravated child torture, is life in prison. The couple has entered a not guilty plea to the charge. The case will be sent to a higher court, where the couple will have the opportunity to enter a plea to the additional charge. Both of them remain in custody.
The couple's lawyer reportedly referred to the investigation as a
"fishing expedition" being carried out by the authorities and claimed that they lacked any supporting evidence. Furthermore, the lawyer claimed the additional allegation "doesn't make sense."
The prosecution stated in court that the American couple had been living with three foster children, including the child in question. The police are currently taking care of the other two kids.
The Spencers are accused of keeping the children and exploiting them to extort money from benefactors, which gives the case a whiff of child trafficking. Moreover, because they lacked work permits, it is unclear what the couple was doing in Uganda. It is legal for foreigners to adopt children in Uganda, per existing law.
