Milimani Law Court. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
The High Court on Monday awarded Sh4 million to a school girl who was strip-searched by police in August 2015.
The girl was allegedly being searched for possessing bhang.
Judge John Mativo awarded the student Sh4 million in damages after her nude photos were posted online by the police after they strip-searched her for drugs.
The female student was among 37 others who were arrested at Kibirigwi trading centre in Kirinyaga when police intercepted the school bus they were in and caught them smoking bhang and having sex on August 5 2015.
When she was taken to court, the girl pleaded guilty to having bhang after police found the drug in her undergarments and she was sentenced to 18 months probation.
The girl from Kanyama Secondary School in Karatina was allegedly stripped naked and photographed for hiding bhang in her under garments and her nude photos, exposing her private parts, were circulated online.
Human rights crusaders picked up her case and in the petition, the court heard that the photos being posted online caused her psychological torture, embarrassment, isolation, hurt her concentration in school and exposed her to public ridicule adding that the photos may be used for pornography.
Judge Mativo in his ruling said the search was conducted in a manner that was degrading and the police officers who searched the victim violated the statutory provisions on searching women.