From tea estates to political elites, how sexual offenders fall
The cases of John Chebochok in Kenya and Dominique Strauss-Kahn in New York illustrate how sexual predators, regardless of their position or location, can face significant personal and professional consequences when their actions come to light.
What you need to know:
- From Kenyan tea farms to the corridors of international finance, sexual misconduct continues to plague workplaces worldwide.
- The cases of Kenya's John Chebochok and Dominique Strauss-Kahn in New York illustrate how sexual predators, regardless of their position or location, can face significant personal and professional consequences when their actions come to light.
On February 20, 2023, BBC Africa Eye and Panorama jointly aired a documentary on BBC's World Service YouTube channel, exposing the horrendous sexual abuse of women workers and job seekers at tea farms in Kenya's Kericho County.
BBC Africa Eye is an investigation unit of the BBC World Service while Panorama is BBC’s investigative TV programme launched in 1953.
The 50-minute documentary, titled Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea, produced by Kenyan investigative journalist Tom Odula, featured a disturbing 39-43 minute segment.
It captured a contractor at James Finlay Kenya, John Chebochok, inviting a jobseeker — the documentary's undercover investigator — to a hotel room for a "job interview."
Shamelessly, John, wearing a wedding band, grabs her, pressuring her to engage in a sexual act despite her resistance. He promises numerous benefits, including a monthly salary of Sh15,000 and a job — a clear case of quid pro quo sexual harassment.
Tom revealed that John had worked at the Finlays tea farm for three decades, during which no one had been convicted of sexual violence. Even after the documentary, John was never arrested. The police claimed no victim had recorded a statement against him.
However, the expose prompted Finlays to terminate its agreement with John's company, Sislo Holdings.
A year later, John sought a position as a director for the Tegat/Toror tea factory, responsible for the Ainamoi zone within the Kenya Tea Development Agency. Two weeks ago, in elections conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, John emerged victorious.
Now, his past crimes have come back to haunt him. The documentary, which has been viewed by 2.8 million people, serves as undeniable evidence.
Pressure is mounting for John to either resign or be removed. Major tea buyers have already declared they won't purchase tea from Tegat/Toror as long as John remains a director, endangering the livelihoods of many households dependent on tea farming in the area.
Sexual harassment, a form of sexual violence, is intolerable under the United Nations principles on business and human rights. While perpetrators may escape punishment for various reasons — such as victims not recording statements or witnesses failing to testify — the scars cannot be erased or whitewashed.
This issue isn't limited to John or the tea industry.
Sexual harassment is a pervasive horror across many sectors, from media to law firms, schools to churches, and hospitals. The difference lies in reporting and prosecuting these cruel criminals.
In France, a brilliant economist's career plummeted due to sexual violence. In 2011, Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as International Monetary Fund managing director following his arrest for sexually assaulting a hotel housekeeper in New York.
CNN described him as "once most known for his brilliant grasp of global economics and European politics."
According to BBC, by early 2011, "his work as head of the IMF saw him touted as a potential challenger to Nicolas Sarkozy as president of France."
The Socialist Party had considered him their best presidential contender to unseat Nicolas in the 2012 election. Ultimately, they chose François Hollande, who won the French presidency.
These two scenarios serve as a reminder not just to potential sexual predators, but also to victims, sexual violence responders, and the government. Had the New York hotel housekeeper not reported to the police, Dominique would not have faced consequences—losing his IMF job and potential presidency.
His fate contrasts with John's.
What if victims don't report due to fear of reprisal? What if they had a safe and confidential means of filing cases without physically visiting a police station? What if the State assured them protection before, during, and after reporting abuse?
The documentary interviews revealed that women workers felt hopeless, with tea farms being their only source of income.
To what extent have the Ministry of Gender or the Office of the Women Rights' Advisor to the President attempted to establish a fund for survivors of sexual violence to rebuild their lives away from vulnerable environments?
We cannot be complacent about the pain thousands of women and men endure from sexual violence across various sectors. While sexual offenders can be punished with jail terms, the damage they cause is immeasurable and lifelong.
Nevertheless, this serves as a reminder that crimes committed will follow perpetrators wherever they go. So, keep away from our daughters and sons!
