Dear Friends:
A few weeks ago I flew to Uganda to participate in a trial regarding a Trafficking in Persons case by the nation’s High Court. The accused were the first to be charged under the new Prevention of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Act after kidnapping a young boy, removing body parts for ritual witchcraft practices, and leaving him for dead. The young boy was found near death but has since recovered and identified his kidnappers.
On March 1, 2011 a conviction was announced in this case that now marks a monumental step in Uganda’s fight against human trafficking.
That is because this case was the first time since its enactment in 2009 that the Ugandan TIP law was utilized. Therefore, with this conviction, a precedent for future trafficking prosecutions has been set for the array of offenses for which the accused were found guilty (see the press release at: http://www.restoreinternational.org/trafficking-in-persons-act-conviction).
It is a privilege for Restore to partner with the Ugandan judicial leadership as we see justice take hold under the Trafficking in Persons Act – and even more importantly, to have the assurance that in the future there will be a strong recourse for those who take it upon themselves to injure or otherwise mistreat children in Uganda.
Best personal regards,
Bob
Robert K. Goff
President and Founder
