This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
On November 1, a 12-year-old girl in Nyabohanse, Kenya, made a shocking accusation against her father, a police officer on suspension. She claimed he had defiled her and locked her up in a police cell for six days to conceal evidence.
The girl's allegations sparked a police investigation, with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) launching a probe into the rape claims. IPOA officers visited the minor and her grandmother at a guardian's home, where the two took refuge following the incident.
However, the suspect managed to evade arrest and cross the border to Tanzania. Detectives are now pursuing leads to track him down, with the Kuria West police chief, Bernard Muriuki, stating that the suspect had switched off his mobile phones, making tracking difficult.
It is alleged that the suspect had been arrested and charged on two separate occasions in November, but the case flopped due to lack of evidence. The girl maintained that her father defiled her at their home in Nyabohanse after luring her into his bedroom and kept her blood-stained clothes as evidence.
As the investigation continues, the girl's guardian claims to be living in a state of perpetual fear following threats by the suspect's relatives. The victim has yet to record statements with police due to the threats.
