Written by Andrew Kariuki
A Lamu court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to 15 years imprisonment for defiling his 17year old cousin on Faza Island.
Resident Magistrate Hon. Flavian Mulama found the accused, whose name has been withheld to protect the victim’s identity, guilty of defilement.
The court heard that on the night of April 19, 2025 at around 10 p.m the accused lured the teenager, who was returning home from tuition, into a madrassa by promising him money. Once inside, he led him to the third floor, where he defiled him.
The victim testified that he felt pain during the assault and was told to go home afterwards. His mother later noticed paint stains on his hair and hands, prompting her to question him. He eventually revealed the ordeal after a relative, who is also a police officer, intervened.
A medical officer confirmed that the victim had sustained an anal tear consistent with penetration. The prosecution, led by counsel Ahmed Omar Mohamed, called witnesses who presented medical and testimonial evidence proving the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In his defence, the accused claimed he was at home watching television during the incident, but the court found his alibi unconvincing.
Delivering the judgment, Hon. Mulama ruled that the prosecution had proved all elements of the offence; age, penetration and identification and that the victim had positively identified his cousin as the perpetrator.
The accused was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
