A Ugandan court has ordered a US couple, Nicholas and Mackenzie Spencer, to pay approximately $26,000 (£20,700) in compensation to their foster child after convicting them of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment.
This compensation resulted from a plea deal that led to the court dropping more severe charges of aggravated trafficking and torture.
If convicted on these charges, the couple could have faced life imprisonment or the death penalty.
The Spencers were arrested last year and charged with torturing a 10-year-old boy over a two-year period. The charges stemmed from a police report filed by the child’s nanny, alleging that the couple repeatedly subjected the child to inhumane treatment.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the couple pleaded guilty to the charges of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment, working without permits, and staying in Uganda unlawfully. As a result, they were fined 4.86 million Ugandan shillings ($1,285).
However, this ruling has sparked outrage among some child rights activists who view it as “a mockery of justice.” Proscovia Najjumba, an activist, questioned how the court allowed the couple to avoid more severe consequences, given that they admitted to “mistreating a child.”
Court documents revealed that the couple subjected the child to cold food, had him sleep on a bare wooden platform without bedding, and forced him into an “awkward position.”