The court on Monday, May 27, 2024, convicted a man who was found guilty of assaulting and raping his domestic worker, locally known as ‘Mama Fua’.
According to case details, the suspect – Simon Mwita Mwere – locked up the victim, identified only as “H”, beat her up, and sexually abused her.
Njeri wa Migwi, a Kenyan human rights defender and founder of the Usikimye Foundation, an organization that offers refuge and assistance to victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Kenya, announced the significant breakthrough in the case.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the organization supported the victim and ensured attendance at every court session, despite the challenges.
The Court sentenced the accused to 27 years in prison; “Having considered all the above mentioned factors and the circumstances surrounding this case and the amount of time the Accused Person has spent in custody, I hereby sentence the Accused Person, Simon Mwita Mwere to 27 years imprisonment with effect from today the 27th day of May 2024.”
Njeri wa Migwi noted that through-out the trial they concealed the victim’s identity as they prioritized protecting her privacy and safety. She also mentioned that the suspect had issued threats.
“H is a mama fua who was asked to wash clothes for a client, but was locked in, beaten, abused & raped her. We walked this journey with H and yesterday was sentencing. We never missed court, accompanied her. He threatened us all. We kept on. 27 years in jail. Fin,” the human rights activist tweeted.