Hotel employee charged with rape of Dutch tourist

By Tobias Chanji

An employee of a beach resort in Diani, Kwale County, was charged in a Kwale court for raping a tourist on New Year’s Day.

The accused, Charles Kibegwa Ochieng’, 21, a room steward at Diani Sea Resort Hotel in Diani, Kwale County, appeared before Resident Magistrate Abdulrahman Aminga to answer to charges of raping a Dutch tourist within the hotel premises.

Police have said they also intend to bring an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a woman contrary to section 11(A) of the Sexual Offences Act that included touching her private parts.

Sneaked in

According to the prosecution, the suspect sneaked into the victim’s room using pretence and tried to befriend the tourist who was drowsy from medication.

She was powerless and unable to parry away the suspect, according to her statement to the police. She told police on January 1 that she took sleeping pills after partying the whole night and fell asleep only in her towel after a shower in her room when the suspect sneaked in.

The complainant’s statement reads that the incident happened on January 1 in the hotel room as she rested when Ochieng’ came in with some tissue papers then left.

Party

“An hour later he came with a piece of paper containing his telephone number then told me to call him in the evening so that we can go out for a party, but I was not interested. At around 2pm, I swallowed some tablets and fell into strong sleep.

“At around 1600 hrs (4pm) he came back and told me to undress. I only had a towel as I was from taking a bath earlier on. He removed his trouser and slept over me and because of the medicine I had no power to shout but I started pushing him away. He went away and I immediately went for a shower as I was worried that I had been infected,” reads the statement that the tourist had recorded and which is part of the prosecution evidence.

Medication

Msambweni OCPD Jack Ekakuro had earlier on informed The Standard that both the accused and the defendant were taken to Diani Dispensary for medication and it was proved that indeed she had been sexually assaulted.

The accused denied the charges and was to be released on a Sh50,000 bond but by the time of going to press he was still in police cells.

The Prosecutor asked the court to speed up the case as the tourist was to go back to her country on January 13. The case is set was however set to be heard on January 8.