A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by Murang’a law court after he was found guilty of defiling a 13-year-old girl.
Senior Resident Magistrate Susan Mwangi found Brian Kagondu guilty of committing the heinous act on October 12, 2024 at Kahatia area of Kahuro Sub County in Murang’a.
According to the witnesses presented before the court, the accused was a known acquaintance of the victim’s family and where he took advantage of the young girl while she was left in the care of a relative.
The victim disclosed the sexual abuse to her mother upon returning home, prompting the family to report the matter to the authorities.
In her testimony, the victim’s mother stated she had noticed changes in the victim’s appearance and walking style and suspected something was wrong before learning about the incident.
She further explained the accused had defiled her daughter on multiple occasions.
Jackline Wangui, a neighbor to the victim’s family who had seen the accused near the victim’s home on several occasions, testified that he had observed suspicious behavior but did not initially suspect foul play until the victim spoke out.
Wangui went on to explain in her testimony that initially she didn’t suspect the accused, as she had known him to be a decent and respectful man in the community.
She described him as someone whom children admired for his friendly nature, which made it unlikely for him to be suspected.
In his defense, Kagondu, denied all charges, claiming he was being framed because of his friendly nature with children.
He further added that his positive relationship with the children had been misinterpreted, leading to false accusations against him.
Kagondu argued that there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime and insisted that he had never been alone with the victim.
However, his defense was dismissed by the Magistrate who ruled that witness accounts and medical findings had established his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The medical report tabled before the court conclusively established that the victim had been defiled on multiple occasions, as evidenced by the complete breakage of the hymen, further strengthening the prosecution’s case.
“The victim’s testimony, along with statements from key witnesses, provided a clear account of the events, which led to the conviction of the accused.
“The evidence presented, including the victim’s testimony and the medical findings, leaves no doubt about the guilt of the accused,” added the magistrate.
She continued “Such crimes not only cause physical harm but also profoundly affect the mental state of the victim, leading to lasting psychological trauma.”
Kagondu pleaded for leniency saying he has some health issues requesting to be granted a non-custodial sentence. He was given 14 days to appeal if he was not satisfied with the judgement.
