This archive report was first published on 9 January 2020.
On January 9, 2020, a 75-year-old Italian man, Mr. Pancino Renato, appeared in a Shanzu court in Mombasa, facing charges of defiling a 15-year-old Standard Seven student.
According to the police, Mr. Renato, who claims to be running an orphanage in Kilifi County, allegedly lured the girl with a promise to pay her school fees. When she went to his apartment to collect the money, he gave her yoghurt laced with a drug, knocking her out, and then defiled her.
The minor, who comes from a poor background, reported that when she regained consciousness, she found herself naked and had been sexually assaulted.
Police raided Mr. Renato's apartment and found him with the girl following a tip-off by residents who had seen her entering the apartment alone. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had been luring victims to his house with promises of paying for their education.
Mr. Renato has been remanded for three days to allow police to collect DNA samples from him. State Counsel Nyawinda Oyugi opposed bail, asking that the suspect deposit his passport with the court pending further investigations.
The case will be mentioned on January 13, 2020.
