Police officer held for defiling 17-year-old Bungoma girl who had been arrested for eloping

BUNGOMA COUNTY: A police officer is being held at Mukuyuni police station in Tongaren constituency for allegedly defiling a 17 years old girl who had been arrested and detained at Mbakalo police station for eloping with her boyfriend.

It's alleged that the police officer Paul Kerich defiled the girl at the police station on 11 January 2015 when she had been arrested alongside her boyfriend identified as Arafat Mohamed and locked up at the station overnight.

Confirming the arrest, Bungoma county police Commander Munyoli Mutinda said that the suspect defiled the girl repeatedly the whole night with the promise of setting her free the next morning but he failed to do so.

"The victim narrated the story to his colleagues when the suspect failed to honour his pledge of releasing her, this is when the other officers realized that the girl had been defiled and reported the matter to his seniors," said Munyoli.

We have opened up a file and send the same to the director of public prosecution (DPP) to aid in charging the officer.

"The suspect's life was in danger because the area residents were after his life after learning of the unfortunate incident, we decided to apprehend him and take him to a safe custody in Mukuyuni as the investigation into the matter has been launched," he said.

The suspect who had eloped with the girl was charged at a Kimilili law courts and released on bond while the girl was released at the police station and treated at Kimilili sub county hospital.

Bungoma North sub county Maendeleo ya wanawake organization chairperson Violet Mamati has condemned the incident and called on relevant authorities to carry on with investigations so that the suspect is held responsible for his unnatural act .

"As women we are very bitter with the officer, we thought that the girl will be safe in his hands but he turned out to be worst beast, let the law follow its cause," said Mrs Mamati.