A South Carolina couple residing in Uganda, accused of subjecting their foster son to torment over a two-year period, will avoid returning to jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge, as reported by several news sources.
Nicholas and Mackenzie Spencer, both in their early 30s, entered guilty pleas to reduced charges on Tuesday and were directed to provide up to $28,000 in compensation to their 10-year-old foster son, one of three children they welcomed into their home from a Christian ministry in Kampala five years ago, according to legal documents referenced by Reuters, BBC News, and Voice of America.
This married couple, who have been living and working in the vicinity of the Ugandan capital since 2017, relocated to Uganda for humanitarian purposes.
In 2018, they invited three foster children into their Naguru residence, a suburb of Kampala, and allegedly subjected their 10-year-old foster son to conditions where he remained "barefoot and unclothed throughout the day," according to a statement from Ugandan police.
According to the police, the Spencers at times purportedly compelled the boy to assume an uncomfortable position and made him sleep on a plain wooden surface without a mattress or bedding. These alleged acts of torture occurred between 2020 and 2022, according to the statement.
A caregiver for the child reported the alleged abuse to the police in December of the previous year and informed The Daily Monitor, a local newspaper, that the Spencers purportedly kept the child confined to a small tiled room.
The caregiver further alleged that the couple prevented him from attending school and continuously monitored him through a camera.
The Spencers, who were later charged with aggravated child trafficking, have been out on bail since March, having pleaded guilty to the offense, according to VOA. They had previously served a two-month prison sentence following their arrest, as reported by BBC News.
In a court ruling on Tuesday, the couple was found guilty of six lesser charges, including inflicting cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, child neglect, unlawful residence in Uganda, and employment without a work permit, according to VOA. The court ordered the couple to provide 100 million Ugandan shillings or a sum of up to $28,000 as compensation to the boy.
As per VOA, the Spencers may face imprisonment if they are unable to meet the fines. The boy has reportedly been placed in a children's home.
David Mpanga, the couple's attorney, informed Reuters that the boy had psychiatric issues, and the Spencers were ill-equipped to provide proper care due to their lack of parenting experience.
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