Police officer who defiled his daughter now goes into hiding
A police officer accused of defiling his 12-year-old daughter in Migori County has gone into hiding after Nation ran the story on Wednesday.
Kuria West Police Chief Benard Muriuki said they are closing in on the suspect after receiving confidential information on his whereabouts.
INVESTIGATIONS
“We have established his hideout following tip-offs by locals and are narrowing down on him. We expect to have him arrested soonest so that justice can be served for the minor,” he said.
The OCPD, however, declined to comment further on the matter.
This comes at a time the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has begun investigating the case in which the officer reportedly defiled the girl on November 1 and locked her up in police cells, with the help of his colleagues, to conceal evidence.
Ipoa officers camped in Isebania on Wednesday, visiting the minor and her grandmother at a guardian’s home, where the two took refuge following the incident over safety fears.
At the same time, detectives investigating the case have begun reviewing the matter with a view to apprehending the officer.
Although the suspect had been arrested and arraigned in court last month, the case did not take off after investigators cited lack of evidence.
According to the Standard Seven pupil, her father defiled her at their home in Nyabohanse after luring her into his bedroom.
LOCKED UP
The minor, who stays with her grandmother, had gone to her father’s house to collect school fees.
After the incident, she said she ran to Nyabohanse Police Post, where she reported the matter.
She said her attempts to have the suspect arrested were futile after officers turned against her and locked her up in cells in a bid to conceal evidence of defilement and shield their colleague.
The girl noted that a female police officer called her father and area chief and tried to persuade her to forgive him.
The girl was then moved to Isebania Police Station, where she was locked up in a cell for two hours, then taken to Nyayo Hospital where she was tested and given medication.
The minor stayed in police custody for six days, sharing the cold floor with adults. The officers let in the man, who constantly visited while coercing her to drop the case.