A human rights advocacy group has issued a damning report accusing some security officers in Muranga County’s Mathioya sub-county of conspiring to deny victims of defilement justice.
The Independent Medico Legal Unit (IMLU) said it is investigating 15 cases of female defilement, with the youngest victim being 10 and the oldest being 16.
“After they were sexually assaulted on various dates,” said IMLU county coordinator Hannah Maina, “their guardians, some officers, and suspects came together to negotiate on material settlement outside of court.”
The abuse occurred within the last two years, and IMLU is “attempting to revive the cases and have them reopened for prosecution.”
According to her, the reported cases are only a fraction of those committed against girls because “many more go unreported or are settled silently in kangaroo courts.”
The cases have “traumatized many people, including some teachers who are heavily involved in assisting IMLU in pursuing justice for the girls.”
She claims that some security officers, village elders, family members, and suspects are involved in the cover-up.
Some family members, including mothers, argue that what has happened cannot be changed and that reconciliation should be pursued to avoid court drama.
Ms Maina added that other family members are trapped by poverty, and security officers tell them that court cases “are shameful, costly, and with no guarantee of justice, and they should accept compensation and move on.”
According to IMLU, after a poor parent is enticed with money and forgives the suspect, police officers draw up a bill and send it to the suspect with the blessings of rogue officers in the children’s and gender services department.
“The majority of the victims come from low-income families… The suspects come from affluent families. The axis of evil prepares a bill, and the victim receives a maximum of Sh5,000 because the deal’s initiators receive the lion’s share of the settlement bill “Ms. Maina stated.
She stated that she is working with the county commissioner, county government, the media, and church and school volunteers to combat this trend.
