School bus conductor arrested over girl’s defilement
According to the girl's parents, the conductor committed the act after he was left with the child alone on the bus, after taking other pupils home.
A school bus conductor has been arrested in Mombasa over claims he defiled a five-year-old pupil while on her way home.
It is alleged that the girl was defiled by the conductor before he dropped her off at their home in Kiembeni on May 18.
According to her parents, the conductor committed the act when he was left with the child alone in the bus after taking other pupils home.
“In the morning, we prepared her and she went to school, and when she returned she was received by our house help as usual. However, the house help noticed she had an awkward walking style,” said the father.
They reported the incident at Kiembeni Police station after receiving confirmation from the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital that their daughter had been defiled.
The suspect is being held at Kiembeni awaiting trial.
The father says the girl has attended Maryjoy Primary School for the last three years.
School's comment
The school administration has denied the claims.
Headmaster Titu Ndirangu told the Nation that whatever is alleged to have happened is unfortunate, and noted that as the administrator, he allowed his staff to record statements of the events of the said day.
“Let the law take its course. All I can say is that the bus left the school with 28 children and six female teachers,” Mr Ndirangu explained.
He said it puzzles him how the incident occurred yet some of the teachers were still inside the bus.
“I don’t think such could have happened as the girl was not the only one left. There were more pupils and teachers to be dropped,” he added.
According to the girl’s father, however, medical reports showed his daughter was defiled.
“This is a young girl. She has now been put under the pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment and counselling,” he said, and urged parents to examine their children whenever they come back from school.
