Outrage after pregnant woman is battered senseless by husband
By STELLA CHERONO and HILARY KIMUYU
A 6-months pregnant woman is admitted at the Langata Hospital after being battered senseless by her husband at their home on Monday evening. The woman, according to the police, was taken to hospital by neighbours following the brutal attack.
Langata OCPD, Elijah Maina said the man suspected to have committed the offence was arrested the same day but was released on Sh 5,000 cash bail on Tuesday.
“The case is in our hands. We released him as the law demands but he will be arraigned in court on February 10th,” Mr Maina said.
The release of photos and a video of the brutal attack by political activist Boniface Mwangi on social media sparked outrage online over the incident.
In the highly graphic video, the man is seen assaulting the woman with slaps and punches outside their house as another man looks on without intervening.
At some point the aggressor knocks down the woman and pulls her by her legs inside their house. When the woman later emerges from the house her face is bloodied and floor is covered in blood. She stumbles and falls to the ground as a neighbour is heard gasping in shock and asking for help to take the woman to hospital.
REPEATEDLY ASSAULTED
The neigbour who purportedly shot the video with his mobile phone requested not to be identified but said he did it because he wanted to help the woman, since the man has repeatedly assaulted his wife in the past.
The mother of two, while speaking to Nairobi News from her hospital bed, said, “I walked in from the shop and found my husband taking pictures of our house hold items with his friend and when I inquired what they were doing that is when he started beating me.”
According to the woman, this is not the first time that her husband has battered her. She claims that in 2015 she was admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital after being stabbed by her husband.
Her father, who also spoke to Nairobi News, blamed the police for releasing the suspect.
“Initially the police said they would not release him (the suspect) because they didn’t know if my daughter would make it or not,” he said.
But Langata police boss Mr Maina said the police had earlier intended to apply to the court to allow them detain the suspect but the victim’s family, including her father, two other men and SouthLands Community Chairman requested for his release as they wanted him to cater for the hospital bill.
