BY MWANAHABARI REPORTER
A suspect who defiled and impregnated a 15-year-old Form One student in Makueni County is free after he colluded with the minor’s mother and a senior police officer.
The suspect, a married man, vanished from a local police station in Kajiado Sub-County hours before he was arraigned for the alleged offence after striking a deal with the senior officer that could have seen him apologise to the minor’s mother and pay Sh500 daily for the minor’s upkeep.
Identified as the person responsible
According to OB report [03/16/09/2021] in our possession, the suspect name withheld was arrested on September 16 after being identified as the person responsible for her pregnancy but was released in an unclear circumstance.
According to the releasing OB [30/16/09/2021], the alleged defiler was released after the minor recanted her earlier statement when they visited the station in the company of her mother.
“Released after minor mistook suspect for the person who impregnated her,” read the OB report.
The mother later said that she was pressurized by a senior police officer to withdraw the case and settle it out of court.
“I was stressed after I realised that my daughter was seven-month pregnant and under pressure from the police and suspect to withdraw the cases so that we could talk,” she said.
Suspect paid only twice
The mother, however, said even after they agreed with the suspect to pay Sh500 daily as upkeep for the minor, the suspect only remitted the money twice before going silent.
“They came and pleaded with me and promised to pay Sh500 daily as upkeep, but they no longer remit the money.”
The mother who sells vegetables in Bisil town, Kajiado Central Sub-County, however, said she is unable to seek justice for the minor because of her financial status.
“It is tricky I have to feed my daughter and the baby and myself, it is hard even getting fare to visit police station is a problem,” said the woman.
She, however, declined a face-to-face interview saying if we publish the story it will land the officers in trouble.
I will get the OB
“Mimi sitaki kukosea polisi, nyinyi watu wa media mtanipea shida sana na hi maneno,” she said
The minor is currently confined at their home with a one-month-old baby.
The said officer, however, denied any knowledge of such a suspect but sent a junior officer to collect an Occurrence Book never to return.
By the time we were leaving the station, the female junior officer was yet to return with the OB.
“It is an old case, give me a few hours I will get the OB and move the case forward,” the senior officer promised our team.
He, however, maintained that it was unlawful to release a defilement suspect even if the complainant failed to come to the station.
They took the OB to court
“I have not released any suspect since I came to this station who faces defilement case. We normally take them to court and it is there where their fate is decided.”
The officer, however, later claimed the officers who took suspects to Kajiado law courts misplaced the OB.
“They took the OB to court but we have not seen it since then,” he said.
Officers privy to court operations, however, said that OB books are never carried to the station, but that only suspect’s details are taken to court.
An OB has never been carried to court
“An OB has never been carried to court, it is a station book for recording whatever is happening in the station and not a court document,” a police officer said.
Called for comment, the suspect promised to give us an interview before switching off his phone.
The girl’s school principal however said she was new in the station and needed time to check the student records.
“Kindly allow me to check the school records before calling you back,” she said.
By the time we published the story, the headteacher had not called back.