A court in Tanzania’s capital has sentenced four men to life in jail for the gang r@p3 and sodomy of a girl under the age of 18, in a case that has sparked indignation across the country.
Clinton Damas, a Tanzanian People’s Defence Force soldier, and Praygod Mushi, a jail officer, are among those convicted. The other two criminals are Nickson Jackson and Amin Lema.
In addition to their life terms, the four men have each been sentenced to compensate the victim 1 million shillings ($370; £275). A fifth suspect, a senior policewoman suspected of ordering the s3x att22ck, will face separate trials in October. The case has sent shockwaves through Tanzania, which is a traditionally conservative society.
Outside the Dodoma Resident Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Godfrey Wasonga, the men’s defence lawyer, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, stating that some legal provisions had been breached.
However, some activists, celebrities, and human rights defenders have hailed the court’s ruling on social media. In August, a video of the gang-r@pe began circulating online, and authorities quickly requested the public not to share the clip in order “to avoid torturing the victim and her family”.
The East African country is dealing with an increase in gender-based vi0lence, with many cases remaining unreported, according to local media.
“Ignoring these issues will only lead to their increased occurrence in our society,” warned the Legal and Human Rights Centre last month.
