A 19-year-old girl silenced Mombasa law courts with her confession and pleaded with the court not to jail her estranged boyfriend, who allegedly defiled her.
Sharlet Maria, the victim, told Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Vincent Adet in her confession that she was still in love with Paul Luhanzo, who is accused of defiling her when she was 16 years old.
Further, the young woman told the court that despite her parents being against the relationship she became pregnant with Luhanzo’s child even after he had been arrested and charges of defilement levelled against him.
“Even after he was arrested, we maintained our relationship in secret and saw each other frequently.” “He is my daughter’s father,” she explained.
“Before I testify, I want the court to know that Luhanzo never defiled me.” He took his time seducing me before I consented to intimacy relationship with him. “I’m not here to testify against him, but to tell this court the whole truth,” she explained.
“I was forced to testify against him after my parents discovered I had spent the night at his house.” We have a child together, and he has been caring for her. If you imprison him for something that was agreed upon, who will care for our child if my father does not help me with the upkeep?” She asked.
At the time of the alleged defilement, the complainant was aged 16 while the suspect was aged 19.
Following the complainant’s confession, the court directed the social enquiry report to be tabled before the court to enable the court to make its decision.
The particulars read that, on diverse dates between April 2019 and May 2019 in the Chaani area in Changamwe sub-county the 19-year-old intentionally and unlawfully defiled a child aged 16 years.
