Hospitals differ in reports on teenage rape suspect
A rape victim. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The alleged rape happened when Jane (not her real name), who is disabled, was eight years old.
The boy, 17, is in secondary school. He was arrested and charge sheets prepared, but the magistrate ordered a mental assessment.
What ensued was a three-year back-and-forth to determine if the boy was fit to stand trial.
Two hospitals have given two contradicting medical reports on a teenager acc
The alleged rape happened when Jane (not her real name), who is disabled, was eight years old.
The boy, 17, is in secondary school. He was arrested and charge sheets prepared, but the magistrate ordered a mental assessment.
What ensued was a three-year back-and-forth to determine if the boy was fit to stand trial.
used of defilement in Makueni County.
Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital and Makindu Sub-County Hospital have for a year been giving conflicting medical reports as the case involving the defilement of a girl with disability drags on at the Makindu law courts.
On June 14, 2017, Dr Jumba Joseph wrote to principal magistrate for Makindu declaring that the boy was not fit to stand trial as “he had poor memory for recent events and displayed gross intellectual deficit for his age. He had perceptual disorders...”
A year later, on June June 14, 2018, Dr P. Onyancha, a consultant psychiatrist at Mathari hospital, wrote to the senior principal magistrate describing the boy as normal and fit to stand trial.
“Developmental history did not reveal much (he can’t remember) except that he repeated Class Five and Class Seven. Examination revealed a young man in good general condition with normal vital signs. Mental status examination was found to be normal. He is fit to stand trial,” concluded Dr Onyancha.
Yet another examination conducted on June 15, 2019 by three doctors – Dr Josephine Maitha, Dr Meshack Nzioki and Dr Josephine Muthengi – concluded the boy had autism.
“It is our professional opinion that he cannot stand charges/ trial in his current state. We recommend he be managed medically by a psychiatrist,” they noted.
The alleged rape happened when Jane (not her real name), who is disabled, was eight years old.
The boy, 17, is in secondary school. He was arrested and charge sheets prepared, but the magistrate ordered a mental assessment.
What ensued was a three-year back-and-forth to determine if the boy was fit to stand trial.
The matter is before resident magistrate J.D Karani and though the suspect has never taken plea, it is slated for mention on November 5.
