By Omony Denis
Police in Nwoya district have arrested a man for killing his own stepson on December 27th, 2022, accusing the wife of refusing to bear him a child during their five-month OF staying together.
Opiyo Morris, aged 23, a resident of Latek-odong village, Lungulu Sub County, in Nwoya district, is accused of killing his 1-year-old toddler, identified as Ogenrwot Joshua, on December 26th, 2022, at around 8am at the time the mother had gone to the garden.
He was arrested, taken to Nwoya Central Police Station, and charged with murder under SD PRV/931/2022, while the deceased child was taken to Anaka General Hospital for a postmortem, according to a police officer who requested not to be mentioned since he is not allowed to speak to the media.
According to the child’s uncle, Okello Justine Opok, Opiyo got the child sleeping, turned him upside down, and hit him with the head, and the child’s lifeless body was discovered at around 10:30 a.m. by the mother, Ayot Brenda 20, who notified the local community, leading to the suspect.
Opok explained that the suspect has for long been accusing the mother of failing to conceive, with him having had a miscarriage twice.
“The two stated staying together in July 2022, after Ayot separated with the biological father of her two children who lives in Panokrac village in the same sub county” said Mr. Opoka
He said the suspect even stopped wife from breast feeding the deceased who was just seven months to allow the wife conceive which she complied to, unfortunately got the miscarriages twice.
“The last was in December 2022, which to the suspect he believed it was deliberate abortion yet he is keeping the two step children brought by her wasting his resources.
Okello stated that the wife (Ayot) had kept them as deceased relatives hidden until they discovered the neck that was twisting in almost every direction and became suspicious.
“She rushed the child to the nearby facility in the village and then later to the St. Mary Lacor Hospital branch in Amuru district, where the boy was pronounced dead,” Mr. Okello explained.
Accoring to Okello, Ayot gave them a phone called on December 27th, 2022, informing them about the death of the child, which she claimed happened at the hospital, which they had earlier believed so; however, when they held the child, they did not find any injuries on him, and the fact that his head was turning made them suspicious, so they reported the matter to police.
“Upon serious interrogation, Opiyo said he carried the deceased from inside and threw him outside, which could have resulted in his death, leading to his arrest immediately.” Mr. Okello notes
If found guilty, the suspected can earn a maximum penalty of death sentences, as per Article 188 of the Penal Code Act.
According to the police annual crime report for 2021, 759 murder cases were reported in 2021 when compared to 540 in 2020, indicating an increment of 40.5 percent.
