Defilement tops crimes, survey reveals

Kenya’s Economic Survey 2020 has raised the red flag on the increased cases of defilement in the country.

The survey, released last week by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Mr Ukur Yatani, indicates that defilement cases accounted for 76.4 per cent of all reported crimes.

It also shows the number of persons who committed defilement crimes increased by 13.2 per cent to 5,397 in 2019.

Similarly, those reported to have committed rape increased by 3.1 per cent from 921 in 2018 to 950 in 2019.

Assault accounted for 69.4 per cent of all crimes committed under other offences against persons and increased from 16,088 in 2018 to 16,304 in 2019.

In total, there were 5,397 defilement cases recorded in the country in 2019 which was an increase from 4,767 cases recorded in 2017.

Sexual exploitation

According to the report, sexual assault cases increased in 2019 compared to the previous year.

The report noted that there were 132 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, 114 sodomy cases, 2,189 cases of physical abuse and violence, two online abuse cases, 735 teen pregnancy cases and 656 child marriage cases.

Over the same period, 111,866 children were neglected by their parents. Out of this number, 57,279 were males and 54,587 females.

Meanwhile, last year, at least 2,000 cases of child trafficking cases were reported in Kenya.

The National Crime Research Centre report released in 2014 showed Kilifi County recorded the highest number of rape cases in the country at 97.9 per cent while Samburu had the lowest at 7.9 per cent.

The top five rape rates came from the counties of Kilifi 97.9 per cent, Kisii 85.7 per cent, Machakos 71.4 per cent, Mombasa 66.7per cent and Nairobi 64.9 per cent.

Stop violence

Mombasa County topped with the highest defilement rate at 60 per cent followed by Machakos 58.3 per cent, Kisii 57.1per cent, Nairobi 24.5 per cent and Nyeri 17.5 per cent.

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2014 indicate 14 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men aged between 15-49 reported to having experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.

Overall, 39 per cent of ever-married women and 9 per cent of men age 15-49 reported having experienced spousal physical or sexual violence.

At least 39 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men who have experienced spousal sexual violence, reported suffering physical injuries.

The survey shows 44 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men were found to have sought assistance to stop violence they have experienced.

It also indicates 14 per cent of women age 15-49 have ever experienced sexual violence and 8 per cent have experienced sexual violence in the past 12 months.

There were notable variations in the experience of sexual violence by age with the youngest women (age 15-19) found to less likely have gone through sexual violence than older women age 30-49 in one year proceeding the survey.

Women’s report of sexual violence according to the survey is lowest at  six per cent or less, among Muslim, North Eastern, and never married women.