This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, a disturbing report on sex abuse was released by the Jaramogi Odinga Oginga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu county, highlighting the county's alarming defilement crisis.
The report revealed a shocking increase in defilement cases, with at least 1,482 cases reported between January and August this year, compared to 886 cases filed last year.
July 2019 saw the highest number of defilement cases, with 352 reported, followed closely by August with 247 cases, with a staggering 98% of the victims being girls.
Defilement cases in the county are on the rise, but the number of cases reaching the justice system is dishearteningly low, with officials attributing this to stigmatization, lack of evidence, and intimidation from perpetrators.
Victims, particularly young girls, are often defiled by relatives and people known to them, leading to a culture of silence and fear, as children are reluctant to speak out due to fear of being branded evil names by family members.
According to Joel Okumu, the Kisumu County Director of Gender and Social Services, the high number of defilement cases between April and July can be attributed to school-going children being at home during this time, making them easy targets for perpetrators.
