A court in Nanyuki heard on Wednesday how a teenage girl hid a pregnancy for five months for fear of being killed by her stepfather who had allegedly defiled and threatened her with death.
The minor’s mother told the court that she noticed her daughter had an “unusual” bulge on her tummy and when she prodded her further, she revealed that she had been defiled by her father when the mother had gone to hospital.
“My daughter told me that while I was away at the hospital, her father sent the girl’s younger siblings to go fetch water at a nearby river and when they left, he dragged the teen into the house and defiled her then warned her against revealing the act to anyone or else he would kill her,” the sobbing mother of eight said.
The suspect was charged that between April and September last year, he defiled the 15-year-old girl at his home in Magutu village, Laikipia East. He denied the accusations, claiming that he was being framed by his wife and his brother-in-law so that they could take his land.
During cross-examination, the accused said he had no reason to defile his stepdaughter. He told resident magistrate Vincent Masivo that he treated her as his child despite not being her biological father.
“I’ve been educating all the eight children without discrimination, despite the fact that only three are my biological children. There’s no way I would think of committing such an act with my daughter. This is pure fabrication,” he said.
The court also heard that the teen later gave birth to a preterm baby who later died at the Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital. She is currently undergoing counselling sessions to help her cope with what she went through.
During investigations by police, DNA samples were taken from the suspect and the dead infant to ascertain paternity in the case.
The hearing continues.
