Earlier this year 16-year-old ‘Liz’ was reportedly attacked and raped by six men in western Kenya, before being dumped, bleeding and unconscious, in a deep sewage ditch.
Liz suffered a broken back and suffered serious internal injuries from the rape. The three men accused of gang-raping her were ordered by police to cut grass as punishment.
Liz’s case has made international headlines with more than 1.3 million people signing a petition to press for justice for the teenager. See our Facebook album of a march held in early November in Nairobi, where over 300 people came out in support and to present the petition to the Kenya inspector General (IG). International press covered the march with reports on televisions from Australia to Amsterdam.
There has been further movement with this case.
On 16 November the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions released a directive, stating that;
‘The Office of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) received a file from the Busia Office, regarding the sexually violated teenager from the same region. The case of this teenage victim has received global attention, with focus on her paraplegic state as a result of the alleged incident.
Following these reports, the Director of Public Prosecutions constituted a team from the Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) section, to review the file’
Follow this link to read the whole directive
Recent media has also covered this issue and the subsequent police action. A report from the Nation from 15 November announced that Suspect in Liz case charged in court. A further article from 16 November stated that Suspects in the gang-rape and violent attack on a Busia pupil four months ago will be charged.
CREAW will continue to keep you updated on this case and the response by the Kenyan police. As Nebila Abdulmelik from FEMNET says “The men that raped Liz must be arrested and the police officers who let them walk free must be held to account – this case has to be the moment when the culture of violence and impunity ends.”
It’s not too late to act. Sign the online petition with Avaaz here http://www.avaaz.org/en/justice_for_liz_loc/?slideshow