Members of the Abagusii community have been warned against settling defilement cases through 'Kangaroo’ courts, as the process compromised justice to the disadvantage of the affected girls.
Kisii County Member of the National Assembly Mary Otara has decried incidents where local community members, whose daughters have been defiled, are coerced into an out of court settlement, instead of allowing the law to take its course.
Speaking at Ibeno CoG primary school grounds on Sunday, during a sanitary pads donation event organized by Egesa FM Radio under the auspices of smart ladies International Organisation, Otara advised local community members to work with local human rights organizations, especially International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is implementing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness campaigns in the County under Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK) project, to ensure survivors of sexual abuse access justice.
“I am encouraging members of the local community to partner with IRC through its PIK project to ensure girls and women who have been sexually abused access justice through the country's legal and justice system, instead of being misled to settle sexual abuse cases affecting our daughters through 'kangaroo' courts which deprive them their sexual and reproductive health rights,” observed Otara.
Otara clarified that her office was partnering with IRC through PIK project in the County, to ensure women and girls who have been sexually abused access justice without any obstruction or external interference from either the perpetrators or their relatives.