- Unit meant to deal with issue of threats and intimidation of witnesses
- Hindi and Mpeketoni divisions in Lamu West lead in defilement cases
Lamu law court has established a special protection unit for witnesses in child defilement cases.
The announcement was made by principal magistrate Allan Temba on Sunday.
Under the programme, witnesses will remain anonymous for the entire period of trials.
“We have formulated the special witness protection unit to ensure all potential witnesses are safe and remain anonymous until the case is determined. We expect the unit will go a long way in helping us deal with the issue of threats and intimidation of witnesses,” Temba said.
The magistrate called on civil society and community organisations to spread awareness on the need for people to report defilement cases.
The unit was necessitated by constant intimidation of witnesses in defilement cases, which the magistrate said was a among the major hurdles in the judicial process.
Increased cases of rape and defilement have been reported in Lamu especially in Hindi and Mpeketoni divisions.
Temba said many incidents never make it to court as communities choose to resolve the matters out of court.
Those that make it to court have to contend with numerous threats and intimidation from the suspects and a society that supports them.
A recent report by the Lamu court revealed at least two children are defiled every week.
Temba said many defilement cases are never reported.
He noted that on many occasions the victims don't follow through with their cases after receiving direct threats from the perpetrator or their families.
The magistrate said many victims quietly pull out of their cases for fear the culprits might harm them.
“Many of these defilement cases haven’t even made it to the police and subsequently the court. There is a trend where families of the culprits have been making threats to the victims directly or their families. Witnesses have been intimidated to the extent where they pull out of legal proceedings before the cases are completed. The fear instilled makes it hard for them,”Temba said.
In May, police in Lamu raised alarm over increased cases of defilement and teen pregnancies in Hindi and Kiunga divisions, with at least 50 cases reported between January and May.
A 2018 report by World Vision revealed that over 25 girls had been sexually abused by their fathers in Hindi division between January and May.
According to a report by the Director of Public Prosecutions in Lamu, Hindi division remains the leading area for defilement between 2015-2017.