Threats and stigma scaring sodomy victims from reporting cases

Threats by perpetrators and fear of stigmatization is the main reason why boys and men shy from reporting sodomy and rape incidents in Kilifi County.

In some cases, families whose children have been affected hide the report after receiving a bribe from the perpetrators as well as fear of exposing the family in the event the perpetrators are close family members or relatives.

Kilifi County Hospital medical social worker Raymond Katana says that only a few cases have been reported at the Gender Based Violence Recovery Centre at the facility (GBVRC).

“Sodomy cases are happening a lot in Kilifi on boys but they are the most hidden because families view the cases as ‘shameful’ if it involves family members and therefore they decide to solve the cases at home,” he said in an interview with the Nation at the Centre.

Mr Katana says that since January, only three men have reported to them that they have been sodomised by fellow men.

“Two of the boys who reported to us that they have been ‘raped’ by fellow men are in secondary school while the third one is a grown up man,” Mr Katana said.

However, even as he speaks of families’ failure to report the sexual abuse, some victims especially in Ganze Sub County where cases of child defilement are rife, are living in fear after their abusers were left scot-free and intimidate and ridicule them.

In April 2013, a seven year old boy was sodomised by four men said to be his neighbours.

Sauti ya Wanawake, a human rights organization in the constituency documents the abuse with its chairperson Judith Uchi saying the culprits were arrested and taken to Kilifi Police Station.

They were released in what Ms Uchi says were suspicious circumstances. They were again picked up and taken to Jaribuni Police Station in the same area and set free again.

She says that during the “suspicious circumstances’’ money changed hands between a relative of the boy and the culprits, to withdraw the charges.

Meanwhile, the organization rescued the badly injured victim and took him to a shelter.

“Eventually, we were shocked after we were directed by a social worker to get the boy from the shelter and return him home,’’ she says.

NOT RECOVERED

Two years later, says Ms Uchi, the culprits are walking free and occasionally threaten the mother and her son with similar consequences.

Although the child is back in school after justice failing him, he is yet to recover physically and emotionally from the sexual attack.

Last April, a six year old pupil was sodomised by a 13-year old boy as they were looking after animals. Ms Uchi says although the matter was reported, no action has been taken to date.

Mr Katana points out that it is rare for adult men to report such incidents because many do not want to be seen as weak or seen in the public.

“Early this year, we got a report of six boys who had been sodomised but once the parents saw that their case will attract public attention, they hid them and their whereabouts is unknown,” he added.

He added that long court cases or suspects who are released on bail have also made families to refrain from pursuing or reporting such incidences altogether.

According to a report prepared by Mr Katana, a total of seven cases of sodomy were reported at the Kilifi County hospital in 2014 and eight cases in 2015.

He called on the community, gender violence organizations and the county government to work together to sensitise the community on these cases and ways that they can be addressed.

(Editing by Obed Simiyu)