Lost Innocence: Step by step process on how police officers handle defilement cases
Nakuru East Sub County Police Commander Martin Wekesa.
Nakuru East Sub County commander Martin Wekesa, has disclosed how officers approach a defilement case with an unparalleled sense of urgency.
Mr Wekesa says, “As soon as a defilement case is reported to us, as officers the investigation unfolds immediately, no loose ends, no delays, leaving no room for ambiguity.”
The police commander states that once the child who has been defiled or the family records a statement at the police station, they are later accompanied to a government hospital.
Here, semen samples are taken and the victim is immediately administered Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) drugs before 72 hours to avoid HIV infection.
“The police also issues the victim with a p3 form for medical doctors to fill in after examination. The doctor also fills in a defilement form, which basically provides details to be used in court as evidence alongside the sample,” he notes.
Mr Wekesa continues, “After the hospital procedures, the work is now left to the officers to look for the suspect. Once the suspect is arrested; he is taken to the hospital for a sperm extraction as well so as to match the previous sample and have evidence during the court case.”
Asked about instances where the suspect may go into hiding, Mr Wekesa angrily points out, “There is no compromise about defilement. If the suspect escapes, the case is still filed, and they are immediately tracked down until their arrest.”
Mr Wekesa speaks of the commitment the officers have to ensure justice, adding that they do not take any form of bribery. According to him, in case bribery is involved within them or the family of the victim, they are arrested as well.
“If a police officer is found to be involved in any bribery, he or she loses their job with immediate effect,” he says.
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Additionally, he stresses that there is a desk both at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices in Nakuru and the Nakuru Central Police station.
Mr Wekesa concludes, “Immediately the case is opened and still ongoing, there are professional counsellors who take the victim through counselling, either from the police service or the children’s office.”
On the other hand, Winnie Lang’at a Nakuru-based lawyer says, “It hurts when a witness feels ashamed to present themselves to testify in the case because they feel like they have done something wrong.”
Another challenge that Winnie admits is an inhibitor to justice, is the instances where the suspect bribes the victim’s lawyer with the hope of fumbling up the case.
She adds that although she has not experienced it personally, one of her lawyer friends has. Something that she strongly believes is inhumane.
“The sentence for a perpetrator who defiles a child of 12 years and below is life imprisonment. If the child is 12-15 years old then the sentence is 20 to 30 years and if the child is 16 to 18 years the suspect risks spending 25 years behind bars,” she comments.
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