A 19-year-old woman has pleaded with the Mombasa law courts not to jail her estranged boyfriend, who allegedly defiled her.
In her confession before Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Vincent Adet, the complainant Sharlet Maria informed the court that she was still in love with Paul Luhanzo, who is alleged to have defiled her at the age of 16.
Further, the young woman told the court that despite her parents being against the relationship she became pregnant with Luhanzo's child even after he had been arrested and charges of defilement levelled against him.
"Even after he was arrested we went on with the relationship secretly and would often see each other. He is the father to my daughter," she said.
"Before l testify l want to inform the court that, Luhanzo never defiled me. He took his time to seduce me before l agreed to have sexual intercourse with him. I'm here not to testify against him but to tell this court the entire truth," she said
"I was coerced to testify against him after my parents realized that l l had spent a night at his house. We have a child together and he has been taking care of our child, In case you jail him for something that was consensual who will take care of our child if my father does not assist me with his upkeep?" she posed
At the time of the alleged defilement, the complainant was aged 16 while the suspect was aged 19.
Following the complainant's confession the court directed the social enquiry report to be tabled before the court to enable the court to make its decision.
The particulars read that, on diverse dates between April 2019 and May 2019 in the Chaani area in Changamwe sub-county the 19-year-old intentionally and unlawfully defiled a child aged 16 years.
Luhanzo has since pleaded not guilty.
