Three men get 15 years in prison each for gang-defiling schoolgirl

 

Three young men, who gang-defiled a stranded, pregnant 15-year-old secondary student, have been jailed for 15 years each.

Among those convicted was the girl’s 19-year old boyfriend who was in Form Four when the incident occurred on March 24, 2020 in Mulango Market, Tigania Central, Meru County.

Timothy Murithi, 20, Duncan Mwirigi, 22 and the girl's boyfriend, had approached the student as she sheltered from heavy rains in a corridor during the night. The three pretended to be out to help her get home.

Instead, they tied her hands, gagged her mouth with a piece of cloth and carried her to Murithi’s house where they defiled her in turns before throwing her out of the house and locked the door.

The traumatised girl went to her classmate’s house where she stayed until March 27. The victim’s parents reported that their daughter was missing at Mulango Police Post.  

She was later taken to Mikinduri Sub County Hospital where medical tests also revealed that she was pregnant. The suspects were later arrested and taken to Mulika Police Station before being charged with the offence.

While making the ruling, Tigania Principal Magistrate Gathogo Sogomo noted that although the girl was pregnant at the time of defilement, the heinous act was demeaning and evil.

He also handed the minimum sentence for the offence, noting that the men were first offenders and young.

“The accused, who are of youthful disposition and full of life, and vivacity have abandoned the straight and narrow path and opted for debauchery,” Mr Sogomo said.

“Even though the complainant was a fallen angel, having engaged in previous sexual misadventures with her boyfriend, the second accused, which resulted in her pregnancy, that alone cannot justify her violation in the manner perpetrated by the accused”, Mr Sogomo ruled.

The three were given a 14 days to appeal the ruling.    BY DAILY NATION