NAIROBI,Kenya Sep 23 – A Kakamega man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling a six-year-old girl in a case in which the court considered that he had been 17 years old when he committed the offence.

📻 Breaking It Down

The man was convicted of defilement and assault causing actual bodily harm following a successful prosecution by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

He was initially charged with defilement contrary to Section 8(1) as read with Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act. He also faced an alternative charge of committing an indecent act with a child and a separate count of assault causing actual bodily harm.

The offences were committed about five years ago when the accused was aged 17.

📌 What You Need to Know

The prosecution called six witnesses whose evidence established that the minor had been sexually assaulted and suffered injuries.

An age assessment report presented in court established that the victim was six years old at the time of the offence. The report was supported by medical evidence and testimony from other prosecution witnesses.

The prosecution also presented evidence demonstrating penetration and identifying the accused as the perpetrator, despite his denial of the charges.

Prosecution Counsel Stella Adeny led the State’s case, with the evidence ultimately persuading the court that the charges had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

The court subsequently convicted the accused on both the defilement and assault charges.

During sentencing, the court considered the accused’s mitigation that he was 17 when he committed the offences. By the time he was sentenced, however, he had attained the age of 22.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya