Kenya ‘grass cutter’ gang rapists jailed for 15 years: Lawyer
14 April 2015 12:01 AM GMT
A Kenyan court convicted three men on Monday for the brutal gang rape of a schoolgirl, boosting their original punishment of being made to cut grass to 15 years in jail, her legal team said.
“Today’s sentencing is sure to have a ripple effect across the nation, and hopefully the region at large,” said lawyer Kimberly Brown, from the campaign group Equality Now, which supported the schoolgirl.
Worldwide outrage over the punishment prompted more than 1.8 million people to sign an online petition demanding justice.
The then 16-year-old victim, known by the pseudonym Liz, was reportedly attacked, beaten and then raped by six men as she returned from her grandfather’s funeral in western Kenya in June 2013.
The gang dumped her, bleeding and unconscious, in a deep sewage ditch.
She suffered a broken back, caused either by the beating or by being hurled down into the pit, as well as serious internal injuries from the rape. “The fact that Liz’s case took so long to reach this point -- and still faced serious obstacles despite strong national and global support -- illustrates the injustices that are still suffered by survivors,” Brown added.
“While Kenya boasts one of the most progressive legal and policy frameworks for addressing sexual violence, Liz’s case and countless others have revealed significant failures of local authorities to adequately address sexual violence.”
“Today’s sentencing is sure to have a ripple effect across the nation, and hopefully the region at large,” said lawyer Kimberly Brown, from the campaign group Equality Now, which supported the schoolgirl.
Worldwide outrage over the punishment prompted more than 1.8 million people to sign an online petition demanding justice.
The then 16-year-old victim, known by the pseudonym Liz, was reportedly attacked, beaten and then raped by six men as she returned from her grandfather’s funeral in western Kenya in June 2013.
The gang dumped her, bleeding and unconscious, in a deep sewage ditch.
She suffered a broken back, caused either by the beating or by being hurled down into the pit, as well as serious internal injuries from the rape. “The fact that Liz’s case took so long to reach this point -- and still faced serious obstacles despite strong national and global support -- illustrates the injustices that are still suffered by survivors,” Brown added.
“While Kenya boasts one of the most progressive legal and policy frameworks for addressing sexual violence, Liz’s case and countless others have revealed significant failures of local authorities to adequately address sexual violence.”
Next Story
