Makindu man faces defilement charge for waylaying girl aged 13

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 2 — A man who attempted to defile a 13-year-old girl as she headed to school was arraigned at the Makindu Law Courts on Tuesday where he was charged with defilement.
The suspect is reported to have attempted the act on the minor at Changinywa village of Kikumbulyo location, in Makueni county on Monday according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“Peter Odongo, had waylaid the minor as she headed to school yesterday morning on a bicycle, before he grabbed her by her neck and savagely dragged her to a nearby bush. The suspect then attempted to take the girl’s innocence, as she put up a spirited fight to keep him at bay,” the DCI said
The agency said that his attempts proved futile after the 13-year-old managed to fight him off.
The DCI added that she escaped towards her home, where she reported the incident to her mother.
“She was immediately rushed to Kibwezi sub county hospital by her distraught mother, where the necessary medical examinations were conducted to nail the suspect,” the agency said.
The DCI further said that police officers moved to arrest the suspect after they were informed of the incident.
“He was arraigned at the Makindu Law courts today, to answer to charges of attempted defilement, contrary to section 9 (1) and (2) of the Sexual Offences Act,” the DCI said.
Cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been on the rise in recent years a situation compounded by the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.