ACK pastor Elijah Gichangi, 37, from Embu's Mbiruri County was charged yesterday for allegedly defiling his seven-year old orphaned niece by Principal Magistrate Robinson Oigara as curious residents thronged the court to have glimpse of the accused.
Gichangi was arrested on Tuesday evening after residents cornered him and informed police. According to the minor, the clergyman lured her to his house as if to send her on an errand then forcibly removed her clothes and forced himself into her.
"He took off my clothes and proceeded to defile me. He threatened me not to tell anyone about it or else he would harm me. This was the second time he defiled me. I want him to face the law," she told the press.
Gichangi was charged that on or before 19 April 2016 at Spring Valley estate within Embu town, he unlawfully and intentionally defiled the minor. He also faced alternative charges of indecent act with the minor. The suspect too was taken to Embu Level Five Hospital for examinations where a large crowd, among them faithful in his church, turned up and jeered him while calling for his castration to protect their children.
The girls' guardian claimed that the pastor's wife had left earlier that day leaving the man alone when he beckoned the girl from among her friends that she were playing with.
Embu West OCPD Francis Sang' said they took the girl to hospital for examinations to determine if she had been defiled. Sang' indicated police were waiting for results from hospital tests coupled to their investigations before the man can be arraigned.
"Our investigations are on course to determine if defilement happened. The pastor and the girl are related and we also learnt the family has a bitter land dispute that is before court. We want to find out if the man could have been fixed into the issue due to the land feud. We are determined to ensure justice is done," he said.
Wawira Njue, a local leader, said the girl was seriously traumatised and in need of counselling to overcome the ordeal.
She called on the community and the government to come to her support and for Judiciary to hand a stiff penalty if the pastor is found guilty.
Njue said the incident had embarrassed Embu coming at a time when a pastor of an evangelical church was claimed to be having an affair with faithful's wife.
She called on the church in the county to end its silence on alleged debauchery of pastors and take action against those involved.
His lawyer Wairimu Rugaita applied for his release on bond arguing that his client was a young pastor with a young family. He was released on a Sh100,000 bond with surety of similar or cash bail of Sh50,000 with the cases slated for May 30, 2016.
