A girl said to have been defiled three years ago at the age of 14 has asked the judge hearing her case to release the suspect saying she has forgiven him.

The girl, a primary four dropout and former pupil of Ober Abic Primary School in Amuru Sub county, Amuru District was allegedly defiled by Nelson Nyeko on March 20, 2013.

Court heard that the victim had gone to her sister’s home at Adara ward, in Pabbo Sub County also Amuru District. The victim’s sister happened to be Nyeko’s sister-in-law.

Nyeko is said to have sneaked into one of the huts where the girl was sleeping and forced her to have sex with him.

In her statement, the girl said she was woken up by sharp pain of penetration in her sex organ.

The girl made an alarm but Nyeko fled before being caught.

The next morning, Nyeko was arrested on the orders of the local authorities and was later taken to Pabbo Police Post for questioning.

Nyeko denied all the allegations against him after he was charged with aggravated defilement contrary to section 129 (3) & 4 (a) of the penal code act.

When the girl appeared before Gulu resident High Court judge, Justice Vincent Okwanga, she asked the judge to forgive Nyeko.

However, Justice Okwanga dismissed the girl’s plea, convicted Nyeko and sentenced him to six months in jail.

In most part of Uganda, defilement is said on the rise.

Ugandan law defines defilement as the act of having sex with a girl under 18. Often defilement involves relatives, married men or professional people in the community according to several reports released by child rights activists.

In fact, defilement is a capital offence in cases where the victim has been infected with HIV/Aids virus or is very young and has been defiled by a relative ─ categorised as aggravated defilement. Those defiling children aged 14-18 get prison sentences if convicted.