A farmer from Kilifi has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of defiling his 14-year-old biological daughter.
The accused was convicted after the court ruled that the Prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. He faced charges of defilement contrary to Section 201(1) of the Sexual Offences Act No. 3 of 2006, alongside an alternative count of committing an indecent act with a child under Section 11(1) of the same Act.
According to the charge sheet, the offences were committed on diverse dates between September and October 15, 2023, in Rojorojo area, Kilifi County. The court heard that the man repeatedly abused his daughter and threatened to harm her if she revealed the ordeal.
The minor eventually gathered the courage to disclose her plight in a handwritten letter to her headteacher, who intervened and reported the matter to the police. This led to the farmer’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
Prosecution Counsel Nancy Njeru presented five witnesses whose testimonies corroborated the victim’s account.
Delivering the judgment, Principal Magistrate Ivy Wasike ruled that the Prosecution had established all the essential elements of defilement, including proof of penetration, confirmation of the complainant’s age, and positive identification of the accused.
She dismissed the defence advanced by the accused as weak and insufficient to exonerate him.
“The sentence shall serve as a deterrent to others in society,” Magistrate Wasike declared, before handing down the 15-year jail term.
