Take these pills or else; how my uncle forced me to abort his child - a teen's cry

Amina* had always been a bubbly and sociable girl who radiated joy as she played with other children in the sun-dappled streets of Kilifi County. But a horrific incident in 2019 transformed her world, leaving her a mere shadow of her former self — an anxious, withdrawn 14-year-old.

Her life took a dark turn when she was defiled by a distant uncle in an urban area of Kilifi. What began as a single violation quickly morphed into a horrific routine, with the perpetrator preying on her innocence and vulnerability.

He had pleaded with her mother to let Amina assist with domestic chores while his wife was working in Saudi Arabia. Under the guise of familial duty, Amina was thrust into a cruel reality — one that no child should ever endure.

While continuing her studies at a local school, Amina found herself juggling the burdens of domestic work and academic responsibilities. It was a daunting task; her uncle offered neither payment nor support for her education, forcing her to rely on her peasant farmer mother to cover her primary school expenses.

On the fateful night of her first assault, Amina was lost in deep slumber, exhausted from the day's relentless demands. She was jolted awake by a heavy weight pressing against her. Her eyes snapped open, and the sight of her uncle, grotesquely undressed, became a vision that would forever haunt her.

Read: The rising tide of defilement and incest

"What are you doing? Why are you disrespecting me?" she gasped, panic surging through her veins like ice water.

Her pleas fell upon deaf ears, the power imbalance rendering her powerless in that moment. Brandishing a knife, her uncle silenced her screams, instilling a terror so profound that her body surrendered to fear. That night, and countless nights thereafter, the nightmare repeated itself as he continued to assault her. He ensured Amina slept in a separate room, isolated from his children — a cruel strategy to maintain his control over her.

This unrelenting trauma pushed her deeper into an abyss of despair. Amina's spirit withered as she became increasingly withdrawn, fearful of sharing her burden with anyone, haunted by warnings of dire consequences.

"I became so dull and dispirited. I avoided my peers because I just wanted to be quiet," she recounts, her voice heavy with the weight of her experiences.

"I desperately wanted to call my mother and tell her what was happening, but I was terrified of her reaction. She is usually a quiet person, and I feared she might blame me for what happened and cease to support my education. That would surely destroy my dream of becoming a lawyer and ensuring women and girls receive justice when violated."

In a moment of misguided hope, she confided in her uncle's brother, believing he would intervene to stop the abuse. Instead, her revelation became fodder for cruel accusations; he branded her a 'prostitute' who had lured his brother into sleeping with her — a horrific betrayal that left Amina reeling.

Yet she persisted, clinging desperately to her education and her dreams. However, in 2020, her uncle inflicted upon her a trauma too unbearable to endure.

Read: Man charged with defiling daughter, 8, and infecting her with HIV

"I had a fever, and he took me to a clinic owned by his friend. I thought I had gone there for general treatment, only to realize he had instructed the nurse to check whether I was pregnant," she recounts, her voice breaking with the memory.

That same night, he forced her to have an abortion, procuring tablets from the chemist that she had to swallow to terminate the pregnancy.

"He warned me against revealing it to anyone," she adds, the fear still palpable in her words.

The following day, she fled to her rural home. Her mother, noticing the uncharacteristic change in her daughter, implored Amina to confide in her.

Overwhelmed by her mother's concern, Amina finally spoke out.

"That shook me," her mother says, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I was bedridden for three days. I was so weak that I could hardly walk or speak to anyone until my brother came and sat with me. I felt relieved, yet to this day, I can hardly come to terms with what happened to my child. I don't want to talk about that incident anymore," she says, grief etched across her face.

Amina returned to school, now living with a cousin, attempting to reclaim some semblance of normality. However, fate had other plans — she encountered her uncle's brother at a nearby shopping centre, where he unleashed a torrent of verbal abuse, calling her a prostitute who had tempted his brother.

"He punched me in the face. People around us were concerned and sought to understand the reason for the attack. I told them what had transpired," she says. Many urged her to report him to the police, advice she ultimately heeded, making her statement at the local police station.

Read: My baby, my sibling: The plight of girls defiled by their fathers

"The police took my statement, but I never heard from them. I eventually gave up. Later, my mother's brother took me back to the same police station, and they took my second statement in January 2022. The man was arrested, and the case is ongoing," Amina explains.

As the arduous journey toward justice unfolded, Amina grappled with a pressing concern: how would she complete her education? In 2023, she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and achieved a commendable score of over 250 marks.

Her mother attempted to secure her a place in a boarding school, yet financial constraints left her disheartened. Amina was instead enrolled in a day school approximately 10 kilometres away, a path fraught with danger as she trekked through dense thickets, treacherous gullies, and steep hills.

"I was constantly anxious about the possibility of being defiled again as I navigated the undergrowth," she says, fear lacing her voice. Each encounter with a man along her route triggered panic attacks, dragging her thoughts back to the horrors she had endured.

Fortunately, a friend informed her mother about an organization dedicated to educating girls who had suffered sexual violence. With renewed hope, her mother reached out to them, and they responded with compassion and support.

Through the International Justice Mission, Amina was enrolled in a boarding school, a lifeline that rekindled her aspirations of becoming a lawyer.

"I'm incredibly grateful that they have not only enrolled me but are also covering all my needs. My only focus now is to excel. I don't want to disappoint them," she says, a burgeoning sense of determination lighting up her eyes.

Anonymous

"But then, how many of the defiled girls are fortunate like me? I urge the government to pay special attention to girls who have been defiled and ensure they are sponsored to complete their studies in boarding schools, so they do not fall victim to further abuse in their pursuit of education."

An assistant chief in the area echoed Amina's sentiments, sharing the plight of defiled girls and the challenges they faced in accessing education. The local administrator remains anonymous to protect Amina's home location.

"There should be special support for these girls," he insists.

"Here, many parents discontinue their daughters' education once they have been defiled. It is even worse for those who become pregnant. The parents often neglect both the child and the daughter, complicating the girl's return to school. They lament how they could 'waste money' on a girl already defiled. They claim the girl brings shame to the family for having 'lured' the perpetrator."

He notes, "We push parents to educate their violated daughters. We warn them of the legal consequences they could face if they deny their daughters access to education. Those who do pay may do so only partially, leading to the girl being chased out of school. In such cases, if we fail to take action, the girls who have been violated will never receive an education."

*Name changed for privacy.

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