Man, 110, accused of killing his 109-year-old wife over conjugal rights
Dominic Babiiha (right) who allegedly murdered his wife Costansio Bakasisa (left).
What you need to know:
- According to preliminary police investigations, the couple lived in the same house, but slept in separate rooms.
- The police's annual crime report for 2022 shows that 301 cases of murder as a result of domestic violence were reported during the year.
Police in Uganda's Ntungamo District have arrested a 110-year-old man accused of stabbing his 109-year-old wife to death for denying him conjugal rights.
According to Rwizi regional police spokesperson Mr Samson Kasasira, Dominic Babiiha allegedly murdered Ms Costansio Bakasisa with a billhook on Saturday at their matrimonial home in Kahunga, Ntungamo District.
"It is alleged that on December 14 at about 8pm, the deceased turned down her husband's request to join him in bed because she was feeling weak and had a cough and the two went to sleep in separate rooms with the deceased moving in with her two great-grandchildren," Mr Kasasira said.
Police said the suspect raised an alarm on Saturday morning, saying "he couldn't die alone", prompting one of the granddaughters to check if there was a problem.
"When she opened the door, the granddaughter saw the suspect armed with a billhook. The suspect ordered her out," Kasasira said.
He added that: "The suspect then immediately started stabbing the deceased several times, forcing the other great-granddaughter to run out and seek help from neighbours."
Mr Kasasira said responding neighbours found Bakasisa dead, while Babiiha had locked himself in a room where he was found unconscious with a bottle of an agrochemical beside him.
According to preliminary police investigations, the couple lived in the same house, but slept in separate rooms.
The police said that the violence that led to the woman's death was triggered by the "denying her husband his conjugal rights".
The police said Investigations into the matter are still ongoing
The police's annual crime report for 2022 shows that 301 cases of murder as a result of domestic violence were reported during the year, compared to 376 cases in 2021, a decrease of 19.9 percent. Of the total cases recorded by the police, only 127 were taken to court.
"The police strongly condemn all acts of violence and encourage members of the public to always seek non-violent means to resolve misunderstandings or seek help from relevant authorities," Mr Kasasira urged.
