Ugandan maid pleads guilty to baby torture

A Ugandan maid pleaded guilty on
Monday to torturing a baby in a case that
shocked the country after a graphic video of her
abusing the child was made public.
The 22-year-old maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, faces up
to 15 years in prison for the assault, which the
local press branded "spine-chilling".
Worried parents, who installed a hidden camera to
film when they were at work, were shocked to see
the footage showing the maid throwing the 18-
month-old baby girl to the floor.
Tumuhiirwe, who the parents told Ugandan
newspapers had worked for them for only two
weeks, is seen to apparently try to force feed the
baby, before slapping her hard.
She then kicked the child's face and stomach
before putting her entire weight on the girl's back,
and then dragged her out of the room, apparently
unconscious. She also smashed the child on the
head with a torch.

The baby, named in Ugandan media as Arnella,
was left bruised and shaken by the abuse.
The video has been seen or shared hundreds of
thousands of times on social media.
Ugandan newspapers called the footage "spine-
chilling" and "very disturbing."
After her arrest, police said Tumuhiirwe would be
charged with attempted murder, but in court in
the Ugandan capital Kampala on Monday, she
faced torture charges alone.
State prosecutor Joyce Tushabe said the maid,
who had no lawyer, "was remorseful" in court.
- 'Inflicting pain without regard' -
She appeared smartly dressed in a floral shirt,
coming face to face in court with the baby's
father Eric Kamanzi, who reportedly broke down
as she apologised for her actions.
"She said she was sorry for the act," Tushabe
said.
"She asked for forgiveness from the parents of the
child, the nation, and those she said were
affected by her acts."
Tumuhiirwe was remanded in custody and will be
sentenced on Wednesday.
UN children's agency chief in Uganda has
condemned the abuse.
"The video of this baby being beaten is shocking,"
UNICEF head Aida Girma said. "Any such act of
abuse and violence against children is completely
unacceptable."
The case has gathered wide attention in Uganda,
where many middle class parents hire maids to
look after their children.
Maids in Uganda are often poorly paid, and
regularly live in the houses where they work.
While the assault shocked the nation, some
commentators said the abuse reflected wider
issues of hidden violence in Ugandan society.
"Even at schools, children get beaten for very
little, not getting a question right, not having hair
combed, or nails cleaned," a comment piece in the
country's Observer newspaper read.
"Ugandan children grow up numbed to pain, and
end up inflicting pain without regard."
The case has prompted the country's Human
Rights Commission to call on the labour ministry
to draw up regulations for domestic workers.