Police in Gem, Siaya County, are holding three suspects linked to the gang raping of a 28-year-old woman, who was found dead in Rera, Gem Sub-County on Thursday morning.
According to a statement by the County Police commander Muchiri Nyaga, the woman was allegedly gang-raped before being strangled to death.
“Early this morning we had a very unfortunate incident where a 28-year-old woman was murdered in the South Gem area. It is believed that she was gang-raped by three men whom we have detained at our police station.
“According to the evidence gathered, the woman was first raped before being strangled to death,” Nyaga said adding that there were rope marks on her neck.
The lifeless body of the woman was found by neighbours inside her house.
Nyaga noted they are concerned with rising GBV cases and called for the partnership of all stakeholders including the champions and chiefs to fight the human acts.
“We shall not tire in ensuring children and women gets protection and justice in case of violation of their sexual rights,” Nyaga said.
John Okello an elderly man on his part said: "This is horrible. This is the work of a devil. It is unbelievable that people subjected the helpless woman to rape ordeal and strangled her. Shame of men who did this."
“We want police to prosecute the perpetrators for that heinous act. It is scary that men can rape and kill such an old woman,” Okello protested
Police visited the scene and took the body to Akala Hospital.
Meanwhile, local Woman Rep Christine Ombaka, Siaya First Lady Betty Orengo, Kisumu High Court Judge Roseline Aburili and gender activists in the county condemned the incident and asked police to ensure they gather evidence that would see perpetrators prosecuted and justice served.
“This is one of the shameful occurrences in the county. How can men go for a defenceless woman and terminate her life? Police should investigate and apprehend the culprits,” Ombaka lamented.
This came after Betty Orengo and Lady Justice Aburili commissioned a Child Protection Unit and Gender desk at Yala police station that aims at accommodating survivors or victims of sexual assaults.
The four-roomed unit hosted at the police station was funded by Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and will accommodate girls whose rights are violated. Most cases in the Gem constituency are incest related.
Orengo said the objective of the unit is to provide a safe space for children in conflict and in contact with the law.
“The unit comes at a time where cases of child exploitation and abuse have been increasing at an alarming rate in Siaya with Gem sub-County leading with 117 cases as claimed by CMMB,” Orengo said.
Orengo regretted that Siaya professionals boast of being heroes and yet we are nearly at the bottom in terms of teen pregnancies, and sexual and gender-based violence.
"Siaya is also a breeding ground for incest and this must be resisted by all means and that requires a multi-sectoral approach. There have been out-of-court settlements on incest incidents and would want the police and community to work together and pursue the cases for justice to be realized.
"There shouldn’t be a mediation of settlements of sexual violence against children, especially minors. When Chief Justice Martha Koome inaugurated the Gender-based Violence Court in Siaya she declared that there will be no settlement or mediation with regards to defilement or rape cases,” Orengo added.
"She added that the county and national government are working on the GBV and Sexual assault violence that has engulfed parts of the Country.
“Let's raise awareness among these issues. Let's break the silence and talk them out in public barazas, churches and public gatherings to bring down such cases."
A similar sentiment was echoed by Lady Justice Aburili, who noted that the 20 years imprisonment for the perpetrators is not enough to punish the culprits but there is a need to opt for dialogues on the social forum.
“Have been a defender to the girl child right from the teenage and have for years been handling the cases to the extent of listening to the suspects once have passed the ruling at the appeal time, and the culprits normally sympathies that they would have known the repercussions,” Aburili said.
“This means that a lot of time should be devoted to sensitization programs as a way of dealing with the many cases that form part of the day-to-day affairs of the Siaya Court,” she added.
“Men are supposed to protect lives brought by women. You plant the seed on fertile land and so be available to protect the seeds earlier. I look forward to seeing hundreds of thousands of people sitting and discussing GBV cases, prevention and protection of children and women in our community."
Sub-County MOH Chris Opati said that the Department of Health is committed towards supporting victims of rape by signing P3 forms for free and being ready to defend victims in court.
“We are in agreement that qualified doctors are allowed to fill P3 forms at the Dispensary levels as a way of conserving the evidence,” Opati said.
