Victims of PEV sexual abuse traumatised, court told

By Lucianne Limo

Kenya: Former Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) boss Patricia Nyaundi moved a court when she described how police officers and civilians sexually abused women and men during the Post-Election Violence (PEV) in 2007.

Nyaundi was the first witness to testify in an open court in suit filed by eight Victims of sexual and gender based violence during PEV, who are seeking compensation from government.

The six women and two men will testify but their identities, medical records and documentary evidence will be protected and kept sealed in court to avoid further trauma and stigmatisation.

The coalition on Violence against Women, Independent Medico-Legal Unit, International Commission of Jurists, Kenya Chapter and Physicians for Human Rights have sued on behalf of the victims the Attorney General.

Others named in the suit as respondents are Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Inspector General of the National Police Service, Ministers for Medical Services and Public Health.

The petitioners informed the court that they are victims of rape, gang rape, sodomy, forced pregnancy, deliberate transmission for HIV-Aids and forcible circumcision.

Tuesday, Nyaundi told the court that police officers ought to have provided security but ended up being perpetrators of Sexual Based Gender Violence (SGBV).

She said the violence occurred when she was Fida Chairperson where she received numerous distress calls from women who had been sexually abused by police officers.

“Women called me during the post poll violence and informed me that they had been raped by civilians and others from Kibera slums claimed police officers had raped them, “said Nyaundi.

Nyaundi painted a grim picture of how the women who were raped could not access medical assistance nor could they report the crime meted against them by the police as they were the perpetrators.

“The victims will show the court how as a result of sexual violence, they have contracted HIV, suffered permanent damage in their genitals, desertation by spouse, which is a violation to their right of protection,” said Nyaundi.

She told Justice Isaac Lenaola that the victims have suffered double tragedy as government has failed to offer compensate them.

She pointed out that even as government compensated other victims of PEV like those who lost property through arson and forceful eviction, victims of gender based violence have been ignored.

“There are forms of reparations victims of gender based violence can receive like counselling, medical attention and male victims whose genitals were mutilated could be helped using advanced technology, “she added.