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Bomet girl, 15, who was 'defiled' by policeman still in coma

Defilement

She used to be an active girl. Then a policeman turned her life upside down.
Now she is curled up in her hospital bed, unaware of the beehive of activities around her. She breathes with difficulty with her chest heaving with every struggle she makes.
Were it not that the setting is the Litein AIC Mission Hospital in Kericho, a passer-by would casually dismiss the sound the girl makes as that of a person snoring in deep sleep after a day’s hard work.
Several tubes run from her nose and mouth, connected to a life supporting machine with one of them for feeding her with liquid food concentrate.
Her eyes partially open at an average interval of seven hours when she blankly stares at the hospital roof as her relatives — mostly women on her bedside — offer prayers to God for her healing.
That is how she has been for the last one month.
THE ASSAULT
“She was admitted with serious head injuries said to have been occasioned by an accident. She is slowly on her path to recovery, but it will take time before she comes to,” said Dr John Kanyi, who has been attending to her.
Her father and relatives declined to speak to the media on the incident which has caused fury among residents of the region. The family is distraught. Perhaps resigned.
The Form Two student attends a school in Konoin Constituency in Bomet County.
Her relatives say she was defiled on February 10 by a policeman based at the Mogogosiek Police Station, who they allegedly caught in act at the victim's house which is near the police post.
The relatives raised the alarm but the father’s attempt to record an incident report at the station was thwarted by the assailant.
RUTO INTERVENTION
It took the intervention of Deputy President (DP) William Ruto to have the officer arrested and charged with the traffic offence — the defilement case is pending.
“The quick action of Bomet County authorities has resulted in the arrest of a policeman involved in the defilement of a minor. He will face the law,” stated Dr Ruto, in his twitter handle on February 16, 2019.
DP Ruto had earlier in the day while presiding over a function at Silibwet Trading Centre ordered Bomet County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding to take action against the officer following complaints from residents and leaders who accused senior police officers of protecting the policeman.
Speaking to Nation on phone on Wednesday, Mr Shikondi said the police officer was arraigned in a Sotik court and charged with committing a traffic offence.
A family member who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the case said: “The policeman volunteered to drive the student and her father to Tenwek Mission Hospital to undergo medical tests to confirm if defilement had occurred or not.”
“On the way to hospital, the policeman rammed the car he was driving into a stationary tractor at Kaptengecha Trading Centre. The girl sustained serious head injuries as her father and the officer sustained minor injuries,” said Mr Mathew Bett, who witnessed the accident.
They were rushed to Litein AIC Mission Hospital where she has been admitted since, while her father and the security officer were treated and discharged.

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