Cases of child defilement in Homa Bay have risen, leading to school dropouts and exposing the children to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
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| But the now form three student is a mother of two children - all as a result of rape. She is lucky not to have contracted HIV. |
But the now form three student is a mother of two children - all as a result of rape. She is lucky not to have contracted HIV.
In primary school, she was the school office girl entrusted with keeping the staffroom tidy.
"I had served as the office girl for almost two terms, and I used to clean the office at the end of the day when almost all activities are over," says Achieng.
One Friday after other pupils broke for the weekend, Achieng remained behind to clean and arrange the office as usual.
"When the pupils had been released from school, the duty teacher came to the staffroom which I was cleaning and started touching me," she says, crying.
The teacher intimidated her and removed her inner clothing. She tried to resist but the teacher, who was in his mid 20s, overpowered her and finally defiled her.
Her parents reported the matter at Magunga Police Station. Achieng dropped out of school after few months after noticing she was pregnant.
She was not taken for medical check up after the incident so that the police could have actual evidence. As the case went on, her father was advised to wait until she gives birth so that the baby and the alleged defiler could be taken for a DNA test.
After the DNA test, the case was taken to Ndhiwa magistrates court and according to the father, the teacher was set free after the state refused to testify.
"I have been almost to all the relevant offices while following the matter. The suspect was acquitted due to lack of enough evidence to prosecute him in the criminal case number 309/13," says the father.
Achieng returned to school after giving birth, passed the KCPE andnjoined a local day secondary school in 2013.
As if that was not enough, on March 10, 2014, she was allegedly kidnapped by the same man and confined at a house in Kabuoch village within Ndhiwa sub county.
"I was not allowed to get out of the house for almost two months, I was offered anything I needed inside the house, he even gave me a bucket for long and short calls and he always used defile me," says Achieng.
One day Achieng escaped and contacted her parents. The culprit was arrested and taken to Ndhiwa police station. Her father says the same police officer who refused to testify in the first case took up the second case and, again, refused to appear before the court.
Achieng noticed that she was pregnant again. She dropped out of school again. She gave birth to her second child, who is now seven months old, last year. She resumed school and is now in form three.
The teacher has been already sacked. "But that is not enough, what my daughter has gone through is traumatising, action should be taken against the culprit," said the father, a fisherman.
Ndhiwa sub county medical officer of health Thadius Ondijo says such defilement cases in Homa Bay have increased.
"If you go to the maternity ward, teenage mothers in the age bracket of 14-17 are so many which means they were defiled and went unreported," he says.
John Kabasa, the Ndhiwa children officer says there are several cases which go unreported to his office saying they have only received only 12 complaints in the past one year.
"We have received one case on a child between 0-6 years, three cases on children between 6-10, six cases between 11-15 and two cases on minors aged 16-18," he said.
According to the Sexual offenses Act, sex with any person below 18 years is defilement. The punishment depends on the age of the child.
Defiling a child of 11 years and below attracts sentenced to life imprisonment, between the ages of 12-15 years 20 years while those who defile children between 16-18 years are jailed for 15 years or more.
What to do after defilement
1. Tell the first person you see that you feel you can trust what has happened to you. This person can support your story and back you up in court.
2. Do not wash yourself or throw away your clothes no matter how much you want to. There might be hair, blood or semen on your body or clothes that can be used as evidence of the rape.
3. If you are injured go straight to a hospital, community health centre or doctor.
4. Report the matter to the police station nearest to where the rape took place, at least within three days so that there is a stronger chance of finding proof of the attack and of catching the suspected rapist.
5. Make sure you receive treatment to prevent pregnancy, an HIV test and antiretroviral treatment within 72 hours to prevent you getting HIV infection, And ntibiotics to prevent getting a Sexually Transmitted Infection of another kind.
Source: allafrica.com
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