By MN Reporter
A family of a girl living with disability has called on police at Karungu Police Station to help arrested a suspect for sexually assaulting their daughter.
Family of Belinda Gumo, 16, a deaf girl from Bongu village in Nyatike sub-county said a fisherman only identified as Dan tried to sexually harass her.
“When I refused his sexual advances he scaled me with hot porridge,” Gumo said through her interpreter Millicent Akinyi, the BL Tezza Special School.
She said she was assaulted on May 17, and even after being treated and recording her statement at the police station her case is yet to be picked and the suspect questioned.
“I am afraid of similar attack as the suspect is walking freely, with any action taken I feel She said the accused still roams free in Bongu village of Nyatike.
Belinda, 16 who is also partial orphan explained that efforts to get justice never yielded any positive result as nobody has recalled her to the police station after her statement.
Her mother Lucy Adhiambo Gumo said her movements are curtailed since the said Dan has been threatening her and the family.
She said raising her deaf daughter has not been easy as she must slowly learn her language which is coming with more challenges and constantly looking after her physically.
Belinda’s principal, Akinyi said people living with disabilities just as all people in Kenya, have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.
The B.L Tezza Special School Karungu principal who is also her interpretor said her student was assaulted on 17th May 2020 and are greatly angered and alarmed at the recent spate of sexual and physical assaults of women with disabilities.
Akinyi said that because of entrenched stigma against disabled people, many family members do not want to associate themselves with public enquiries about, despite the fact that the victims are their children or relatives.
Migori county woman representative Hon. Pamela Odhiambo condemned gender based violence in Migori citing that the increase in violence against women.
