Woman jailed for 49 years after forcing stepson to swallow 49 needles
A Ugandan woman has been sentenced to 49 years in prison after being convicted of forcing her nine-year-old stepson to swallow 49 needles in an incident that left the child requiring emergency surgery. Chief Magistrate Gibson Muhangi handed Juliet Tushabomwe the sentence on Friday, November 13, 2026, imposing one year in prison for each of […]
A Ugandan woman, Juliet Tushabomwe, has been sentenced to 49 years in prison for forcing her nine-year-old stepson, Samuel Akamumpa, to ingest 49 needles. The abuse took place in Rweibaare II Village, Kashenshero Sub-county, Mitooma District. Tushabomwe allegedly targeted the child over his continued contact with his biological mother.
In May 2026, the child experienced severe stomach pains for several weeks, leading to medical examinations that revealed the foreign objects in his stomach. After emergency surgery at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Tushabomwe was convicted by Chief Magistrate Gibson Muhangi on November 13, 2026. Her defence, claiming the boy could have swallowed the objects while visiting neighbours, was rejected.
The child's father, Twinomugisha Simon, testified that tensions had persisted in the household over his son's relationship with his biological mother. The family welcomed the sentence, and the child's aunt, Eunice Birungi, called for stronger protection of children living with stepparents, accusing Tushabomwe of mistreating the boy.
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