In his opening statement at the International Criminal Court trial of Dominic Ongwen, defence lawyer Krispus Ayena told judges that Ongwen was abducted as a 9-year-old child, plunged into an environment of extreme brutality and effectively stripped of his free will. Kony, also indicted by the court in 2005, remains at large despite an intensive man hunt aimed at capturing him. Ongwen’s trial started in December 2016 when he pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, rape, sexual enslavement and using child soldiers during the LRA insurgency in northern Uganda. At the start of the trial, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told judges that Ongwen rose swiftly through the ranks because of his reputation as a ruthless killer. “Once a victim, always a victim,” Ayena said.

Source: National Post September 18, 2018 09:28 UTC