Defilement of hapless girls on steady rise in Coast region

The defiling and killing of a 17-year-old girl living with multiple deformities by her uncle late last year brought to the fore the severity of sexual offences that have become rampant in the coastal region.

The suspect, David Kitele, is still being tried on murder charges. Police said after committing the heinous act, the accused attacked the orphan with a blunt object and beat her to death.

The sexual molestation of girls by their relatives, religious leaders, police and provincial administration officials demonstrates that sexual pests and perverts are loose everywhere in the region.

The pests can go to any length to gratify their bodily desires by taking advantage of even innocent, sickly girls.

Incidents of defilement and incest in the region have been on the rise, raising questions on the effectiveness of girl-child empowerment programmes in the region.

The Anglican Church has come out strongly to condemn the high cases of sexual violence in the region.

"We are encouraging proper family values. Those engaging in these acts do not value life," says Anglican Bishop Liverson Mng'onda.

In an interview, the bishop blamed widespread sale and consumption of illicit brews and drugs as the main cause of the vice.

"We have started a project to counsel drug and alcohol addicts so that they can be free of addiction. When you destroy your mind, you think differently," he said.