Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Activists in Kilifi County are demanding the immediate arrest of a police officer based in Marereni Magarini sub-county who allegedly defiled a 16 years old girl in January 2022.
The Activists submitts that all due process has been followed and the case was reported to DCI, IPOA but six months down the line the responsible police officer is yet to be charged.
Addressing media in Malindi the activists said the victim has been staying at the child rescue center in fear of attack by the suspect and is traumatized.
She was defiled when she was in form one and the case was reportedly taken over by the Kilifi County DCI office which is yet to conclude the matter to date.
Helda Lammeck the Chairperson of Malindi GBV Network said they protested in March about the same issue and the DCi sung into action but to date, there has been no action taken against the suspect.
She called on IPOA, DCI, and all security agencies to come clear about the matter as the community is seeking answers from them.
“Our role is to do sensitization in the community but currently we are tied because whenever we go there, we are asked about the progress of the case which we do not have answers for,” she said.
She said as a GBV network they want justice to prevail for the girl and wondered why the investigation had taken six months.
Lameck urged the interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi to intervene and help bring the matter to an end once and for all so that the court makes the decision on whether the suspect is guilty or not.
She said the community is now beginning to lose trust in the police because of the incident where the same security officer who are supposed to protect them turned against a minor and defiled her.
“We came here today so as to emphasis on action to be taken we want action to be taken against the police officer,” She said.
She said that had the suspect been a common person it would have taken a shorter period to be concluded and the suspect prosecuted already.
“We are getting so many questions outside people are saying because it is a police officer it has taken so long to complete the investigations,” she said.
In an earlier telephone interview Magarini Sub County Police Commander Daniel Kibio said the case was taken over by County DCI Kilifi for investigations to be done from outside the sub-county.
