A police officer in Uasin Gishu County is on the spot for allegedly defiling a victim of defilement who was in police custody as a child in need of care and protection.
A fresh investigation has been launched into the allegations that the police officer attached to Moiben Police Station, Uasin Gishu County, took advantage of the 16-year- old minor, a Form Two student he was supposed to protect.
The victim had initially been rescued by her parents from the first suspected defiler’s house before the two were arrested and handed over to the police station for further directions.
The policeman was mandated to investigate the case, leading to the detention of the minor for further interrogation and recording of a statement, only for her to fall prey to what detectives suspect to be a rogue officer in uniform.
It is alleged that the officer removed the girl from the cells at night and took her to his residence at the police station where he is believed to have defiled her.
According to the minor’s account, the suspected officer released her the following day and gave her Sh500 with a warning not to tell anybody what happened.
“My parents caught me at my boyfriend’s house and took both of us to the police station. The officer said he would release me if I agreed to his terms. I feel terrible about what happened, and I can’t stop thinking about it,” said the minor.
The victim’s mother said the officers at the station refused to receive her report on the incident. Instead, they referred her to the Uasin Gishu County Police Commander’s office in Eldoret.
She said her efforts to seek justice for her daughter were also thwarted at Eldoret Central Police Station, as she was denied audience with the county police commander by the juniors.
“It is as if no one is willing to listen to us or take our concerns seriously,” the victim told journalists in Eldoret City.
Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi told Nation that he was never informed about the incident and only learned about it through human rights activists.
“This matter came to me through human rights activists and I have intervened. We have started investigating it since it allegedly happened a year ago,” said Mr Mwanthi.
The victim’s mother said the first suspect was released after a police officer allegedly collected a bribe from him.
“It seems the authorities are more focused on punishing us than addressing the real issue,” the mother said.
According to the victim’s mother, her husband was arrested and charged with assaulting the initial defilement suspect in what the family feels was a way of silencing it from seeking justice for their daughter. She claimed that the suspected officer told her that she wouldn’t get any help on the matter.
“The officer has blatantly told us we can take this case wherever we like, but nothing will be done. So far, his words seem true because we are encountering one challenge after another,” she said.
The family has already filed a complaint with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and followed up with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. But their efforts have not yielded results.
Following the family's plight, rights activist Kimutai Kirui wants all government agencies involved to speed up the investigations to ensure justice.
“This is a clear case of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. We cannot allow officers of the law to engage in such practices without consequence. We demand immediate action to ensure justice is served for this young girl and her family,” he said.
