Alarm as cases of defilement, incest skyrocket in Witeithie

There has been public outcry at Witeithie area of Juja Sub-County following numerous cases of defilement and incest with the most recent case involving a man in his 40s who was arrested on Saturday after being caught red-handed sexually molesting his 12-year old step-daughter.

According to reports from the area residents, these cases are so rampant, especially during the COVID-19 period when schools were closed. The residents say that most of these cases go unreported with the few reported cases dying a natural death due to inaction from the authorities.

In the latest case, the suspect is accused of defiling his 15-year old biological daughter from a previous marriage and the 12-year old stepdaughter from the current marriage, whom they have been living together.

He is said to have survived exposure through death threats to the two daughters and their mother in case any of them dared to reveal what has been transpiring in their house.

His arrest was after the intervention of the area MCA Julius Macharia Taki and Gladys Chania Mwangi, a Counseling Psychologist based in Kiambu County.

He is currently being held at Witeithie Police Station awaiting the doctor’s report for consequent arraignment in court to answer defilement and incest charges.

The step-daughter has now been admitted in a children’s home with her 12-year old stepsister being allowed to live with her mother.

While speaking to the press over the rising cases, Madam Chania said that she was currently handling 6 cases from the area that had been reported over the past one week only. She noted that this was just a tip of the iceberg as so many minors were suffering in silence without anyone reporting of their cases.

She accused the authorities of laxity, sighting another case in Maraba where a man was released under unclear circumstances even after being arrested for sexually molesting his STD 8 daughter.

She also blamed the tedious judicial process that scared away doctors assigned to complete P3 forms for defilement and rape cases, fearing being tied up in very long and endless court summons.

“Most of these P3 forms are filled in casually and some of the crucial evidence watered down to avoid being summoned all the time in court. This jeopardises these cases leading to culprits going scot-free and out for more molestation of young girls,” she explained.

On his part, Taki appealed to parents, teachers, religious leaders and even neighbors to be on look out for any suspicious signs and report cases of defilement immediately.

He urged the clergy, teachers, community health workers  and the Kiambu County health department to come up with mentorship programmes in schools and churches to sensitise the community on the vice and ascertain to what extent it had penetrated into families.

“Today only, we have dealt with two major cases done to our kids by their own parents and last week we were able to solve two cases. Let us take this information as our collective responsibility to weed out the community off such predators,” he said.