Three suspects have been found guilty of causing grievous harm to Baby Junior Sagini, the three-year-old child whose eyes were gouged out in December last year in Kisii County’s Ikuruma Village.
Kisii Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Christine Ogweno, who delivered the verdict on Friday, stated that the three suspects, who included the baby’s grandmother, aunt, and cousin, were found guilty of the heinous crime.
The three suspects, Rael Nyakerario (Grandmother), Alex Ochogo (Cousin), and Pacificah Nyakerario (Aunt), were charged with attempted murder on January 18 but the charges were later changed to causing grievous bodily harm under Section 4 of the Penal Code after Prosecutor Hillary Kaino applied to the court to amend the charges.
During a virtual cross-examination in March, Sagini claimed that his grandmother used her hands to gouge out his eyes and dumped him on a maize plantation.
Sagini’s sister testified in court that on December 13, 2022, they went to the river to fetch water as usual, but Sagini did not show up because he had misplaced his water jerrican.
She described how they went about their daily lives until the next day when their grandmother was informed that Baby Sagini had been found dumped in a maize plantation.
They went in search of him, and later, police officers arrived and took the baby to the hospital for treatment.
Daniel Nyameino, a clinician at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, told the court that he received a medical report from Rioma Station of Baby Sagini on December 29, 2022, and after examining him, he determined that unknown people assaulted the baby between December 13 and 14, 2022.
He stated that Baby Sagini had scratch marks that could have been caused by more than one person, as well as severe injuries.
The prosecution has requested a sentencing date, which will be decided on July 21, 2023.
