Texas man who beat Congolese girl so severely that she needed heart transplant gets life sentence

Some good news has once again come out of some of the widely reported cases of mostly White persons attacking or harming Black people but often walking away without any prosecution.

This time, a truck driver in Texas, U.S., has been sentenced to life in prison after assaulting and causing bodily injury to then 12-year-old Dorika Uwimana.

Tarrant County jury in Texas found the driver, Terry Wayne King II, guilty on charges of “assault causing bodily injury to a child and attempted aggravated kidnapping”, following the April 9, 2018 incident.

King II received life sentences on both counts that will be served concurrently, according to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.

Uwimana, who is now 14, was walking on the morning of April 9, 2018, to meet her school bus in Calmont Avenue and Laredo Drive in West Fort Worth when King II approached her, pretending to ask for help.

As she offered her assistance, King II proceeded to grab and choke the girl, a student at International Newcomer Academy. He forced her to the ground and beat her, but she was able to escape to the nearest school bus for help, Fort Worth Police Detective Pat Hinz told CBS affiliate KTVT.

When the bus eventually came, a driver noticed she was bleeding and unresponsive and called the police.

The attack on her caused harm to her internal organs, requesting that a heart transplant be done for her eventually. In total, she had to undergo three surgeries as she suffered from the lack of oxygen during the attack, reports Atlanta Black Star.

Uwimana received her heart transplant in July 2018 – the same month King II was arrested in Oklahoma City, where authorities established no clear motive in the case.

DNA that was recovered from her hands helped trace King II.

In her appearance in court on Monday, September 9, she came face to face with King II where she described him as a “bad man”, KXAS reported.

Uwimana and her family have lived in Fort Worth for a few years after fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

“The faith that her family has given her, the support she’s had from her family is what kept us going on this case,” Hinz said. “She was an inspiration just to find a result in this case.”

Twizere Buhinga, the girl’s father, emigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo less than two years ago. The Buhinga family consists of his wife, daughter and five sons.

“A bad guy came to my daughter and attacked her.” “He touched my daughter and said he needed help. My daughter said she was going to school and what help do you need. He caught her by the arm and dragged her down to the ground and choked her,” recalled Buhinga.