A middle-aged pastor was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Murang’a court for defiling his underage cousin.
Chief Magistrate Peter Ndwiga delivered the judgement after the court found Elijah Gatuku guilty of the offense of defiling a girl aged 16, who is also a cousin to him.
The court heard that Gatuku defiled his cousin in a village in Maragua, Murang’a East Sub County, after a night church service on August 1, 2023.
During the trial, the court heard that Gatuku defiled his cousin at his home in a village within Maragua area of Murang’a East Sub County after a night church service on August 1, 2023.
According to part of testimonies presented before the court, Gatuku convinced the minor to sleep with him on his bed and not with his children and then proceeded to defile her.
The minor, who later became pregnant, suffered another sexual assault by another man, day after Gatuku’s act while she was coming from Gatuku’s church.
A week ago, the same court convicted the person who defiled the girl for a 20-year jail term.
Paternity tests from Murang’a Level 5 Hospital confirmed a 99.9 percent probability that Gatuku is the biological father of the minor’s child.
The magistrate stated that the paternity tests together with the testimonies from the prosecution witnesses, were enough to convict him of the offense.
In his mitigation, Gatuku told the court that he is a family man with children to care for pleading for a lenient sentencing.
However, in his judgement, the Chief Magistrate said that the law on sexual offences is strict, and Gatuku had violated it, and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
“The accused is a family man but the law touching on sexual offences is quite strict. He took advantage of his minor cousin who is also part of his flock,” stated the Magistrate.
The convict was given the right to appeal the sentence within 14 days.
By Bernard Munyao and Anjilwa Francis
