A former Mama Lucy Hospital social worker has been sentenced to 35 years in jail for child trafficking and conspiracy to commit a criminal offense.
Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu, while delivering sentence against Fred Leparan’s, also fined his co-accused Selina Adundo, also a former social former, Sh300,000 or serve a six-year jail term.
The judge noted she was satisfied that the aggravating circumstance of the offense was that as a person who had worked in the community for a long time, he should have protected the children, but instead lacked empathy and showed no remorse.
“I sentence the first accused as follows: 3 years for conspiracy to traffic children, counts 2, 3, and 4 to 30 years for trafficking three children, and counts 6 and 7 to two years for neglect of children.” Justice Kimilu ruled.
The court clarified that Leparan would serve only 25 years in prison, and ten years on probation under close supervision.
The judge further ordered that the children be released for adoption while she warned against involving the two convicts in any matter concerning the children.
The court found that the prosecution had proved its case against the pair after they were exposed in a BBC report, prompting their conviction for child trafficking and negligence.
