Anti-Gender-Based Violence (GBV) activists from Kisii have declared payments demanded by police officers from GBV survivors as illegal.
The activists have also challenged members of the public to volunteer information to relevant authorities if any police or public officer demands payments from GBV victims before issuing them with P3 forms.
Led by Christine Opanga, a trained paralegal, the activists regretted that police officers and those charged with issuing the Kenya Police Medical Examination form, commonly known as P3, solicit for payments for the forms from ignorant members of the public.
Speaking at a Kisii hotel during a one-day GBV review meeting organised by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) under the Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK)project, Opanga lamented that asking for payments from GBV survivors before they are issued with P3 forms had frustrated the survivors' efforts seeking justice much to the advantage of the violence perpetrators.
"It is required under the law that all assault cases be documented in the P3,but the cost of documenting, preserving and presenting the evidence in court still falls on the GBV survivors," stated Opanga.
Another community activist, Edward Mauti, said majority members of the public lacked information on the procedures of accessing justice when one has been sexually abused or assaulted.
"It is worrying that unsuspecting GBV survivors in this region are misled by the police officers to pay for P3 forms while seeking for justice," observed Mauti.
The Inspector General of Police recently gazetted the Kenya Police Medical Examination form but still many members of the public lack information on the same.