A Machakos family is living in fear following death threats from a man suspected of defiling their daughter.
The parents of the 17-year-old said the suspect has on many occasions attempted to reach out to them, issuing death threats if they fail to withdraw the defilement case which is pending in court.
Both the suspect and the victim’s family are residents of the same village in Yatta constituency.
“The suspect is well known to us. He has severally threatened the entire family that we will not be alive if we fail to withdraw the case,” the girl's father said.
“We are crying for justice as a family. We can't continue living in fear for our lives due to these threats,” said the mother of the Standard 6 teenager.
They spoke to the Star at their home on Saturday.
They said the suspect attempted to bribe them with Sh200,000 in cash so the matter could not be reported to police when they learned about their daughter’s ordeal.
They claimed the suspect bragged he could not be taken anywhere even if the matter was reported because he is a government official. He works in the office of a deputy county commissioner.
"The man advanced his threats after he was arrested and charged. He was released on Sh30,000 bail by a court in Kithimani,” the mother said.
“He came to our home when nobody was around, held my hands and led me to a nearby forest where he did what he did and went away,” the minor told the Star.
The victim said she ran away from home after the ordeal but returned the following day and told her parents about the defilement.
“The suspect came with an offer of Sh200,000 in an attempt to silence my parents but they refused and reported the matter to the police,” she said.
Police documents seen by the Star shows the defilement happened on July 26 and was reported to Katangi police post on July 27 under OB NO: 12/27/07/2019.
Before the suspect’s arrest, the officer in charge of the post wrote to Katangi Health Centre medical officer to examine the minor to verify the defilement claims.
Correspondence from the hospital shows that the examination was done at Matuu Level 4 Hospital where the girl was treated.
The case is scheduled for mention on December 9. The family claims the suspect roams in the village with threats.
Edited by peter obuya
