Man gets 20 years for defiling 8-year-old girl

A 68-year-old businessman will spend 20 years behind bars for defiling an eight-year-old girl in 2019.

Samuel Muriuki Kamau was sentenced by Maralal Senior Resident Magistrate John Wanyanga after the court found him guilty of the offence.

Mr Kamau was accused of defilement charges contrary to section 8 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act of 2006.

The court was told that on diverse dates in November 2019, while in Maralal town, he intentionally committed the offence against the minor, then aged eight years.

The accused was also charged with a second count of committing an indecent act with a child.

The defilement case was first reported to Maralal Police Station, leading to the arrest of the accused.

The defilement was discovered when the mother noticed her child not to be walking comfortably.

The mother interrogated the child after which she revealed that Kamau had defiled her.

The accused denied all charges forcing the court to rely on witnesses.

Sole breadwinner

While pronouncing the judgement at the Maralal law court on Monday, the magistrate said the jail term was the minimum sentence for such an offence as provided by the law.

Mr Wanyanga ruled that the evidence adduced in court, including a medical report, was adequate to convince the court that Kamau defiled the girl.

“Even though you denied the charges at the onset of this case, the evidence produced in this court reveals that you committed the offence which attracts a life imprisonment," Mr Wanyanga ruled.

But the suspect, in his defence, asked the court to reduce the punishment considering his old age, besides being the sole breadwinner for his family.

The magistrate said although the victim had been rescued, the incident had left her traumatised.

“Section 20 (1) of the Sexual Offenses Act under which the accused has been charged prescribes the sentence which is life imprisonment. However, having considered the pre-sentence report, mitigation and family background, I sentence the accused to 20 years in prison,” declared the magistrate.

He added that the offence the old man committed deserved strong condemnation.

He, however, noted that the accused person has 14 days to file his appeal if he is not contented with the judgement.