When it comes to heartbreaking stories, the news yesterday was on a roll.
The first was of a stepfather who had raped his young stepdaughter. The mother promptly took the matter to court after seeing her daughter to hospital but to her amazement her reception at home was that of an outcast. Her relatives objected to her presence and after failing to convince her to drop the case, threw her out.
While I was trying to swallow the lump of my throat another one came. This time a neighbourhood idler sexually assaulted a small boy. The said small boy was shown on TV walking with great difficulty. As I’m struggling to digest this the bombshell dropped — the man was to be released on bail and promptly return to his old haunts and his boyz.
The biggest WTF moment was when it was drawn to my attention that when it comes to being an ass, Kenyan law stands head and shoulders above all others. We won’t go into assaults before policemen or shooting others and being released after you apologize. Those are chump change compared to this revelation that I heard from a lawyer:
The poor boy’s mother could not believe it, and very emotionally made it quite plain that if she was not going to get justice, she was going to kill him herself.
Not having gotten to the stage of my life when many little voices address me as “daddy” I cannot pretend to even remotely comprehend what was going through the mother’s mind. I cannot even start to imagine it, nor do I want to. But I feel very confident that if I were in her shoes the only action to be taken is just one:
I will personally hunt him down and break his fucking neck.
Screw the law, screw due process and screw his human rights. Anyone who assaults innocent, defenceless children automatically forfeits any human rights he may have had (seeing as he is barely human to begin with).
This by the way extends to any Michael Jackson-esque characters, fully grown men who have other people’s children in their beds. You have no business being in bed with other people’s children! Much as I am a fan of MJ’s music the instant I heard the man took other people’s children to bed he was already guilty.
The Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Hurlingham, that treats victims of sexual violence needs your help to continue its operations. Some of its sponsors are pulling out and the hospital needs your support to keep treating those of us unfortunate enough to suffer sexual violence. Do what you can to support these selfless people in this very noble cause.
Les Nubians – Makeda
Thanks for doing this M.
I just couldn’t believe yesterday’s news. But you know the worst part, the worst part is that maybe today, or tomorrow, there’ll be another story just like it.
I am so distressed about the incidence of rape in Kenya that my heart has bled dry. I just don’t know what we’re going to do to stop this barbaric crime.
Ps/ So, are you here?
“Sexually assaulting a minor is a bailable offence” – that to me is like giving free reign for people who sexually abuse kids to go ahead because if they are bailed, they can bail out and go elsewhere and do the same, right?
I’m sure there are thousands of cases of rapes that go unreported for various reasons, and that of stepfather/stepdaughter makes me feel sick – hasnt the families got any shame – would they be so eager to condemn and cast aside that woman if it was their own child who had been raped, or their own wives/girlfriends by someone within the family.
You are right M, this is definitely a WTF issue!!
I agree M, it’s heartbreaking to hear stories like this. I can’t even begin to imagine the lives these children lead after such a horrible crime. To play devil’s advocate, these men sometimes have a psychological condition which while it doesn’t excuse their actions, should help us try to understand how best to punish and rehabilitate them. What these men need rather than easy bail, is psychological help and *definitely* not to be let loose again into society.
Sexual assualt in Kenya and in Africa in general is such a serious problem, and I feel like it’s only getting worse. Don’t know what we are going to do.
@ Ms K – Nowadays I rarely watch news — if it is not a heart breaking story like this it is generally a series of bullshit stories with asinine politicians (blog on that later). As for being here — yes and no. From bundus but off again Monday. But tutaongea kando ;)
@ Guess – Even that judge must be smoking something with asbestos and mercury in it. And that family! Wajinga na washenzi!!!
@ Samawati – So many people with the same psychological problem? I don’t buy it. Some of these jamaas are just being their usual, twisted selves. In any case, how will rehabilitating them help the innocent children whose lives are ruined?
I believe that a little snip should be used to calm the perpetrator’s (gonadic) nerves kidogo before attending to whatever psychological issues they may have!
Was wondering where you’d disappeared to…
M-From what I understand, the Sexual Offenders Bill 2005 has (finally!) been published and was being read in parliament today. That is encouraging and (for once) the asinine politicians were united and even proposed stiffer penalties for such offenders when the bill was tabled a few weeks ago. It doesn’t really say about bail for such offenders, but there is hope.
Lakini, I am curious about those poor children on t.v.- did they really show the victims faces?? Isn’t there supposed to be some law that protects the rights of minors especially where revealing their identities is concerned? I know here in SA they are very strict about that and I assumed we had the same law back home?
agree with Milonare but this psychology thing why should we care so much about offenders? the costs involved are IMMENSE, IMO i think stiffer sentences ZERO TOLERANCE(no bail should be offered in such cases) will work wonders…
been a minute M..how you?
Good to have you back M.
Reminds of being in Nairobi three weeks ago and readong of the high incidence of rape of minors in Kibera, ranging from 2 months old babies, the oldest being 12. Unfortunately, as said above, the incidence of sexual assault on children is increasing – although I ask, is it increasing or is it just that we now hear about it, whereas previously it was all kept under wraps.
It is truly sad and I so hear Ms K and feeling that heart seems to have ‘bled dry.’ I stopped listening to the news for this very reason – ignorance sometimes seems the best course of action until you realise that not hearing it does not make it go away. We need to hear about these atrocities in order to make us angry enough to want to do something about it. Only way our asinine politicians will listen abd ond only way people will galvanise to act.
I may disagree with your ’screw the law….’ paragraph but I hear you. Maybe with the new Bill (despite some of its very obvious flaws) we can start to use the law to protect not only children, but also those who bring their fate to the attention of the law, forcing the authorities to act. I agree we have a long way to go. Will look into what I can do re Women’s Hospital
This saddens me deeply- you know how much.
Rapists should have no bail, be castrated, and jailed for life..with no chance for parole.
*sigh*..
M agree with me that our laws are the worst in the earth..
When a motion is taken to the parliament have you asked yourself why the Mps take that long to publish it.. I guess we all have the answer may be either their sons do it or they themselves….
Am developing a phobia of watching the news….. Lets hope this will change through prayers and all that…
Unfortunately the law has always been INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
This therefore means the suspect will not be locked in until the court can prove that he actually commited the offence. It is a sad day when a father sexually assaults his daughter but blame the moral decadence of the society while keeping in mind a lawyer has to do what he has to do and that is ACT FOR HIS CLIENT.
Sometimes it is better to use the LAW OF THE JUNGLE instead of looking for the due process of law because much as everyone would like to see the guy in jail, the rules of evidence must be followed as it has come to my knowledge NOT EVERYONE WHO IS CHARGED WITH RAPE ACTUALLY COMMITED IT.
That my friend is the basis of the rule of INNOCENT TILL PROVED GUILTY.
@ shiro why the law is an ass is that you are innocent until PROVEN guilty. Even when I find you up MY child’s nether regions looking as guilty as sin I should not do anything until the due process of law finds you guilty, and if I stone you in a mad rage I will be taken in for murder and your act forgotten. That is the ASSiness (OH the joys of invention!!) of the law.
@M agree with you completely on breaking necks though I still find that too kind. He should be skinned alive to feel maximum pain or boiled in hot oil just until almost dead and left to dry.
Ati psycho what? I think that excuse is a little lame.
and mighty glad to have you back ;)) hopefully
shame on those people for rejecting the mother who was seeking justice for her child!!
it’s almost as bad as those parents who willingly give their own children to child pornography rings. i still fail to understand how one can carry out such an act to little children – and to make matters worse, your own children!! shame on all of them!!
Random thought…..
The woman kills the bugger….
Pleads insanity in her court hearings……surely you WOULD be insane wouldnt you if that happened to your child?
I have no words…..
I know this might be too late to comment but i only came across this blog recently. i’m going through all posts.
I wish to comment about Nairobi womens, I think its one of the best ideas that has been introduced in the medicals history of this country, they are doing a great job for women and children in this country, my wish is to see many more of the kind across the country.
Having said that, early last year, a source at the hospital told me that donors were pulling out because they had discovered that the money they sent to the hospital was ending up in someone’s pocket. Apparently there was a lot of support from donors initially especially because it treated rape victims for free. Then was a fallout between the consulting doctors and management because of discrepancies in the fees given by donors and actual fees paid to them by the hosp this was apparently also leaked to the donors. This led to a number of experienced docs leaving the hospital and the management had to look for less experienced doctors, as a result the quality of treatment went down and at the same time the management was forced to start looking for more donors.
I started thinking more about this aspect of inexperience some time late last year when a friend lost his new born baby at the hosp because the umbilical cord suffocated the baby in the cervix during birth. The baby was weighing 3.6 kg and the mom had a difficult labour from 8pm to 2pm the next day yet no one at the hospital suggested a scan to see what the problem was, neither did they her to theatre for a CS. Also its very difficult to a first time mom to deliver a 3.6kg baby naturally…you’d think they need rocket science to know that! So the couple lost their 1st son. I talked to a doc friend of mine and she says with current technologies, its inexcusable for such a thing to happen!
I dont intend to dent the hospitals image as this is all heresay, but if all or some of this stuff is true, then it is heartbreaking to all the kenyans including myself who contribute to this worthy cause because we feel a duty to assist our dear sisters, daughters, and even mothers who find themselves in need of the hospital’s free services.
I wonder if anyone else has any information on whether this story is true or not.
“I was molested since the age of four up until the age of 14…I put an end to all of it when it was too late….at first it all started by goin inside me slowly…and then he went all the way inside of me….when i turned 15 my mom had to go to Luisianna and it was homecoming ‘he wanted me to stay home with him!’ I thought to myself, ‘HELL NO!’ and when i went to school i called my mom and told her what he had done to me….She immediately called the cops and sent him to jail as soon as possible! I was never so happy in my entire life! He has trial in August of this year “2006″ and i’m really hoping he stays in…he was even starting to molest his own daughters! I just had to stop it…and i hope he gets life!”