Mama Lucy hospital social worker jailed for 35 years for child trafficking
Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital employees Selina Adundo Awuor and Fred Leparan moments after their sentencing on Wednesday. Fred was sentenced to 35 years in prison while Selina was fined Sh300,000 or serve two years in jail in default for child trafficking.
A former social worker at Mama Lucy Hospital, Fred Leparan, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for child trafficking and conspiracy to commit a criminal offence.
His co-accused Selina Adundo, also a social worker, was fined Sh300,000 or six years in prison.
Sentencing the pair on Wednesday, Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu said she had taken into account the mitigating factors and submissions made by both parties.
The magistrate also said she was satisfied that the aggravating circumstance of the offence was that as a person who had worked in the community for a long time, Leparan should have protected the children.
He lacked empathy and showed no remorse, the judge said.
"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," Magistrate Kimilu ruled.
Under close supervision
The court further clarified that Leparan would serve only 25 years in prison and 10 years on probation under close supervision.
As for the two convicts, the court warned that they should not be involved in any matter concerning the children.
It ordered that the children be released for adoption.
The pair were convicted of child trafficking and negligence after they were exposed in a BBC report two years ago.
The court found that the prosecution had proved its case against them.
Leparan and Adundo were convicted of child trafficking and negligence after a BBC report exposed them two years ago.
Leparan, in his mitigation last week through lawyers Danstan Omari and Martina Swiga, said he was a first-time offender and prayed for a non-custodial sentence.
Swiga said the court should consider his rehabilitation and the restoration of justice.
The court also heard that Leparan is a family man with children and is a breadwinner, having lost his father at a tender age.
"If he is given a non-custodial sentence, he will be able to reflect on the completed trial so that he can integrate into society and support his family," Swiga said.
