Family cries for justice after their daughter was defiled, infected with HIV by relative

A family in Mugango village in Migori County is crying for help after their daughter was defiled, threatened and infected with HIV by her uncle.

The 14-year-old girl who is now in Standard Six narrates how her uncle defiled after luring her into the house.

“He told me to go and get a panga for him. When I had got the panga from his house, I found him at the door and took me on his bed where he removed all my clothes and did the unthinkable,” the girl narrated.

Revelations by her mother shows that the man, Kisawawe used to give her Charity (not her real name) money and sleep with her.

The mother asked her how many times she had been given the money and she said.

“Charity” never knew she was infected with HIV until when she was presented by her parents to the hospital for check-ups.

The mother further revealed that the man was defiling her daughter and her friend at the same time.

“The girl was also called and was interrogated separately. She was asked if she knew the man’s place. At first she refused but when asked to speak the truth if she has ever gone there she narrated her story. She said that while going to her friend’s place, Kisawawe called her and took her to the room as no one was around and he defiled her,” Sabina Boke, the mother, explained.

The family which was depending for the water from man’s borehole has since decided to drill their own to avoid more scenarios.

“I'm drilling this borehole because the man raped my daughter. I want us to have our own because we were getting water from his borehole and that’s been the main trap,” Joseph Nyanchari, the father, said.

The girl says she tried screaming in defense of what was happening but the man threatened to kill her

“I tried screaming but he covered my mouth threatening to kill me if I revealed to anyone,” she said.

The mother says the girl revealed to her it all started when she was in Standard Two.

“At school, my fellow pupils laugh at me saying I am infected. I report them to teachers who punish them. Many never want to interact with me due to this," she said.

“It’s painful to me as a parent because even if she is going to take medicine. I feel like crying," the father lamented.

Local studies show 70 per cent of GBV cases in Migori are lost because of poor investigations and lack of facts.

This case is atypical example of lack of tight mechanisms to report, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators.

“What could I do? It got to appoint I got tired and lost hope having got no assistance from relevant authorities. I thought the government could help but we are not getting any help,” the mother said.

Migori Members of Country Assembly said they have zero rated the GBV allocation and this now makes it hard for SGBV victims to be helped.

Maende Ogweno, who is the Chair of Health Committee in the Assembly said this Financial Year 2021/22 they did not have an allocation for victims of GBV.

The mother said the court now wants them, if they spot the perpetrator, to inform them yet they left him free after he had been caught.