Man held for suspected defilement of schoolgirls

By Nick Oluoch

A businessman in Kuria West District has been arrested for allegedly defiling minors and infecting them with a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).

Police in Kehancha say the man defiled three primary school girls, aged six, eight and ten.

According to witnesses from the area, the man, 60, allegedly tricked the girls by offering them a lift in his car on their way from school in the evening and buying them sweets before committing the crime.

One of the girls’ teachers became suspicious and asked them what the man had done to them after the ride and they revealed everything.

The girls were taken to Kehancha District Hospital where a medical examination showed they had all been infected with an STD.

HELD

Confirming the incident, Kuria District Officer 1 Harrison Muiruki said the man was being held at the Kehancha Police Station and was helping the police with investigations. The administrator said he would be taken to court next week.

The incident comes just days after the children’s department admitted that cases of family separation and child abuse were on the rise.

District Children’s officer John Langat said it was unfortunate the area has the highest number of reported defilement cases and sexual abuse against schoolgirls.

According to Mr Langat, over 20 cases on broken marriages and fathers neglecting their families have been reported to his office.

“This means the families are then exposed to neglect hence sexual abuse. The area is registering at least five cases of child defilement per month,” he added.

SEXUALLY ASSAULTED

He said unless something was done urgently, cases of HIV/Aids could be on the rise. Last week, a nursery school teacher in the area is suspected to have sexually assaulted 12 of his pupils infecting them with STIs and has since gone into hiding.

According to Mr Langat, many of the defilers commit the act because they believe having sex with toddlers is a cure to HIV and Aids.