Health 12 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Doctors Save Boy After Stepmother Allegedly Forces Him to Swallow 50 Needles
A nine-year-old boy is recovering after surgeons at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital successfully removed approximately 50 stitching needles and other foreign objects from his stomach. The boy's stepmother is currently in jail facing charges of aggravated torture. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/relief-as-doctors-remove-50-stitching-needles-from-boy-s-stomach-5457218
Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital has announced a successful, life-saving surgery on a nine-year-old boy, where doctors removed about 50 stitching needles and other foreign bodies from his stomach.
The hospital’s pediatric surgery team performed the complex operation, stating that the “miraculous soul is now out of danger.” The boy will continue to receive follow-up care.
This medical intervention comes after police reported that the boy’s 45-year-old stepmother allegedly forced him to ingest the needles over a two-week period. The suspect, Juliet Tushabeomwe, was remanded in prison in Mitooma District on charges of aggravated torture.
She appeared before the Mitooma Chief Magistrate’s Court on May 7, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution alleges that between August 2025 and April 28, 2026, Tushabeomwe intentionally forced the boy, Samuel Akamumpa, to ingest the metallic objects and plastic fragments.
Her case has been adjourned until June 14 for further mention, while the victim receives specialized care at the hospital. Investigations into the full extent of the alleged abuse are ongoing.