State given last chance in American couple torture case
Buganda Road Court has given prosecution a three-week ultimatum to either commit for trial an American couple accused of trafficking and torturing their ten-year-old adopted son or else releases them on bail.
This comes after prosecution represented by Ivan Kyazze informed Chief Magistrate Sarah Tusiime Bashaija that police investigations into the couple’s alleged child abuse case are in advanced stages and that prosecution needs a few weeks to complete the process.
The magistrate also directed prosecution to find out whether these children were taken to school and inform her of the next adjournment date.
Mackenzie Leing Spencer, 32, and her husband Nicholas Spencer both residents of Naguru Hill in Nakawa division in Kampala are in jail for allegedly administering harsh punishments to the minor.
They are facing torture and aggravated child trafficking charges which are triable only by the High Court International Crimes Division, hence the need for committal.
Prosecution states that the couple between 2020 and 2022 at their residence in Naguru , recruited, transported maintained, and tortured a vulnerable ten-year-old boy.
It is further alleged that the couple administered harsh punishments to the child, deprived him of his right to education, and kept him locked up in a small room that also doubled as his bedroom.
The coupe was reported to Kira Road police by the child’s caretaker after noticing his deteriorating condition.
The caregiver who preferred anonymity told police that the minor was forced to sit on a cold tiled floor without clothes and slept on a bed without a mattress. Additionally, the couple allegedly had a camera installed in his room to monitor all his movements.
According to evidence handed to police, the couple also fosters 2 other children but only tortured one whom they accuse of being stubborn, hyperactive, and mentally unstable.
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