US court convicts Kenyan to 40 years imprisonment for injuring teenage son

A Kenyan has been convicted to serve 40 years in prison by a Court in the US for inflicting injuries to his teenage son.

Joseph Awino had been charged at the Iowa State’s District Court with four(4) counts of willful injury causing serious injury.

He pleaded not guilty for perpetrating the crimes against his teenage son between September 2019 and May 2021.

On September 18, 2024, Awino moved to the Iowa State’s Court of Appeal, challenging a ruling which had been delivered by judges Adria Kester and Amy Moore of the Iowa State’s District Court.

The appellate court--led by Chief Judge Mary Tabor, Judge Julie Schumacher and Senior Judge Amanda Potterfield--has upheld the district court’s decision to sentence Awino to four(4) 10-year terms of incarceration to be served consecutively.

“It is now the order and judgment of the court that you be and you are hereby committed to the custody of the Iowa Department of Corrections for an indeterminate prison term not to exceed ten years as to each count,” the Judges noted.

The Judges described the nature of the offenses as ‘horrific’ and that Awino did neither take responsibility for them nor show remorse.

“The nature of these offenses is utterly horrific. They occurred over the course of years, and the teen will have, no doubt, permanent scars of physical and mental variety for the rest of his life. In short, your behavior and statements clearly reflect that you do not take responsibility for what you’ve done and have little, if any, remorse for the teen or your family other than mostly the impact that this has on you personally,” the Judges noted.

“I also find consecutive sentences are appropriate… for the fact that each of these constitutes a separate and distinct offense, as well as other permissible factors that are supported by the record,” they added.

Awino had moved to the appellate court, arguing that there was no sufficient evidence to support the convictions, the district court erred by admitting hearsay testimony and that his motion for substitute counsel for sentencing was not granted.

He also claimed the district court abused its discretion in denying his motion to continue sentencing and that the district court abused its discretion in imposing consecutive sentences.

The court had heard that the teen went to Iowa State to live with Awino in September 2019, but almost immediately, the accused began “disciplining” the child by stabbing him with pens and markers.

Afterwards, Awino began using other instruments as well, including a ruler and a small cutting board, before ultimately using a rope to whip the teen.

The State told the court that by the time the teen’s stepmother went to the local police in May 2021, Awino was forcing the teen to fully disrobe before flogging him.

During the case's trial stage, the teen testified that the whippings took place about four times per week — sometimes for “a few minutes” and other times longer.

The State introduced photos that the teen took of his injuries at various times between September 2019 and May 2021, photos taken of the teen by various professionals once the police became involved, and ten videos recorded by the stepmother as she stood at the top of the stairs while Awino whipped the teen in the basement.

The pediatric nurse practitioner who treated the teen at the Star Centre estimated that “at least 75 percent of his body had injuries” when she saw him in May 2021.

During the criminal trial stage in July 2023, the teen testified: “I have most of the scars on my hands and the back and my chest, and then also some on my legs and feet, some around the ankles.”

He showed his arms and hands to the jury at the prosecutor’s request.

The jury found Awino guilty of all four(4) counts of willful injury causing serious injury.

Before his sentencing, the accused requested new counsel and moved for a continuance.

However, his two(2) requests were denied by the jury which sentenced him to four consecutive ten-year terms of imprisonment.

Dissatisfied, Awino moved to Iowa State’s Court of Appeal which has upheld the previous court's ruling.