The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Friday asked the Mombasa High Court to order the two officers who were found guilty of the murder of a teenage girl to compensate the family of the deceased.
Kinango DCIO Veronica Gitahi and police constable Issa Mzee were found guilty of killing Kwekwe Mwandaza, in Kwale County.
Assistant Director of Public prosecutions Alexander Muteti filed an application seeking compensation for Kwekwe’s family, saying they suffered physical and psychological anguish and incurred financial losses.
The court heard that the family incurred expenses during the first and second burial, after the body was exhumed following a court order.
“We apply for an order of compensation against the defendants. You should take into account that the victim’s siblings who witnessed the shooting will be traumatised for life,” said Mr Muteti.
Judge Martin Muya was set to read the sentence against the two accused persons on Friday but postponed the reading until Monday following the application by the DPP.
On Wednesday, Judge Muya found the two police officers guilty of manslaughter.
The court heard that Kwekwe was shot dead at her home in Kinango village on August 22, 2014 by police officers who were searching for her uncle, a suspected criminal.
The two accused persons maintained that they acted in self-defense after the deceased tried to attack them with a panga when they stormed into the house.
Judge Muya in his ruling noted that there was gross omission on the part of the accused persons, by failing to ascertain the occupants of the house before raiding it.
The Judge further ruled that the officers were reckless as they shot in the dark without establishing who was in the house.
Judge Muya however said that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused had intended to murder the girl, thus reducing the charge to manslaughter.