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Police Accused Of Abetting Rape
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 07:53
Fida's head of litigation, Ms Judy Thongori, said the organisation's efforts to fight the crime had been hampered by the police and the criminal justice system.
"The Attorney-General must wake up to the fact that violence against women, and rape in particular, should be recognised by the courts as extremely serious crimes and provide appropriate laws," she added.
Fida was reacting to the incident on Tuesday where armed gangsters carjacked a Nyeri-bound matatu, beat and robbed the passengers before forcing them to engage in a sexual orgy. They also raped a 22-year-old college student because she had no money in her purse.
Ms Thongori said that infection of HIV-Aids, rape and defilement should be accorded as much weight as murder and an appropriate sentence be meted out. The sentencing of rapists was also the subject of a recent seminar in Nyamira, where participants called for more severe punishment for convicts.
The chairperson of the Coalition of Women Against Violence, Ms Milly Odhiambo, said the current penalty for rape was light, considering the mental torture, physical injuries and diseases it exposes victims to.
Ms Odhiambo, a gender consultant, proposed the reviewing of the Penal Code."It is unfair to convict a rapist to seven years after signing a death certificate to a female victim by infecting her with Aids," the lawyer said.
Former nominated MP Catherine Nyamato said the time was gone when women suffered in silence at the hands of men.
"Fight for your rights as the law will protect you," she said.
