LAMU, kenya: A man who allegedly raped a four year old girl in Lamu town has been released on a Sh.200,000 bond by the Lamu law courts.
Abdulaziz Abubakar Kanda,50,is said to have committed the act on the afternoon of May 9 where he coerced the little girl into his house with a sweet before committing the act at Riyadha area in Lamu town.
He faced two charges; attempted defilement of a minor and committing and indecent act with a minor.
He denied both charges.
Medical tests also revealed the suspect is HIV positive.
The girl is currently on post-exposure drugs.
The case will he heard on July 12 this year.
There has been growing concern over increased child defilement cases in Lamu that often go unreported as parents and the community sink deeper into the habit of sweeping such matters under the carpet.
Many parents prefer out of court settlements and in most cases,a few coins given by the perpetrator are normally enough to buy the silence of the defiled child.
In Lamu, child defilement cases are highest in Lamu island,Tchundwa,Kiunga,Hindi,Mpeketoni and Witu areas with girls being the most affected than their male counterparts.
The likes of the Muslims for Human Rights Organization-MUHURI and the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya-CIPK and other religious and area leaders have taken it upon themselves to lift the lid off the shameless acts being committed to children in Lamu.
In February 2017 when Chief Justice David Maraga toured Lamu, he warned residents against hiding or resolving child defilement cases at home.
Instead, the CJ urged residents to promptly report such in order to allow for timely legal interventions and prosecution of the culprits.
Maraga said in as much as the judiciary was encouraging people to try and resolve minor disputes at home,child defilement wasn’t among them.
The CJ insisted that all child defilement suspects must be charged and jailed if and when found guilty and therefore called on police in Lamu and all those concerned to be on high alert.