Bishop gets 75 year jail term for defiling minors, transmitting HIV
A Kisumu court has sentenced a clergyman to 75 years in prison after he was found guilty of defiling three minors.
Bishop Joseph Agutu Obala was also found guilty of infecting one of his victims with HIV.
He will serve 20 years each for the three counts of defilement and 15 years for transmitting HIV to a victim.
In her judgement, Resident Magistrate Mrs Pauline Mbulika said Bishop Obala will serve the sentences consecutively.
Mr Obala was charged with defiling the three girls who he was living with at an orphanage in Kisumu. He is said to have deliberately infected one of them with the HIV virus
He committed the crime between April and July 2016. Two of the girls were aged 15 years while one was 14 years old.
TOUCHED GIRLS APPROPRIATELY
According to court records, the accused also touched the girls inappropriately on various dates between April and July 12, 2016.
The clergyman in his defense had claimed that the charges had been fabricated.
He alleged that the three girls had boyfriends and were using his phone to communicate to them in his absence, adding that there was no proof that he is the one who infected the minor with the virus.
Defence lawyer Steve Akoko indicated he would appeal the judgement.
“The bishop is a layman and could have maybe missed some procedures or technicalities during the trial. That is what we will look at when we appeal,” said Mr Akoko.