Life sentence for father-of-six who defiled 12-year-old daughter

The accused has denied the allegations claiming the minor has been coached to testify against him. [PHOTO: ISTOCK]

A father is staring at life behind bars for defiling his teenage daughter. Mr BT was found guilty of two counts of incest act with a minor contrary to the Sexual Offense Act 2008. Kakamega Principal Magistrate Joseph Ndururi found the accused guilty of the offense and sentenced him punitively after his defense and mitigation were found wanting. Ndururi said the accused, in his defense, had admitted to being the father to the minor hence establishing the relationship between them to qualify the offense as incest.

"The accused person's defense is a mere denial and in the light of the compelling evidence, presented by the prosecution, I must reject it," said Justice Ndururi. He added, "there is only one sentence prescribed under section 20 (A) of the sexual offense act. I, therefore, find the suspect guilty and sentence him to life imprisonment."

Grade 3 pupil at a local school

BT is said to have sexually assaulted his daughter several times, the last being on the night of July 11, 2021, at a village in Kakamega East Sub-County. The minor, a grade 3 pupil at a local school, told the court that her father started defiling her when she was in nursery school and warned her not to tell anyone. The father of six parted ways with his wife and was staying with his daughter whom he would follow to her room at night and commit the beastly offense.

The suspect's other five children were staying with relatives and would occasionally visit their father, especially during holidays. The Grade 3 pupil told the court that her father was also defiling her two sisters which caused them to run away from home.The investigating officer in the case said that the minor confided in her class teacher after she could no longer endure the pain. According to Penina Owenga, a Children's officer based in Shinyalu, the minor disclosed to her that she had reported the matter to her paternal grandmother but she did nothing.

"The girl said her mother ran away from home when they were very young leaving them with the father who has been taking care of them since then. Her two sisters also ran away from home due to the same problem leaving the minor with him," she said.

Broken hymen

Humphrey Masika, a clinical officer who examined the minor, told the court that the girl's hymen was broken, a testimony she was defiled.

"Laboratory examinations revealed negative pregnancy and HIV tests. However, she was suffering from a fungal infection which I prescribed drugs for," he said.

BT denied the allegations claiming the minor had been coached to testify against him.

"I pray the court will help me. The complainant is my daughter who was left with me when she was very young. Her mother helped her frame me up on this," he said.

When he first stepped in court, BT pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted a Sh300,000 bond.