Man Handed 20 Years Imprisonment For Defiling 12 Year-Old Girl In Taita Taveta

 

A 52-year-old suspected paedophile was sentenced to 20 years in prison for defiling a 12-year-old girl in Taita Taveta.

Evans Manochi Metioni initially denied the charges before Taveta Principal Magistrate Eugene Kadima, but was convicted after the prosecution called five witnesses, including the girl, to testify against him, proving beyond a doubt that he was guilty of the crime.

Metioni allegedly committed the offence between September 2 and September 15, 2023, in Challa village, Taveta Sub-County.

 "In his submission, prosecution counsel pleaded with the court for stiffer punishment, saying that the accused person knew the victim as his neighbour and took advantage of her," the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said in an X statement.

"The Court noted the evidence of minor and ruled that the accused manipulated the victim with money to satisfy his twisted desires, leading to multiple instances of sexual abuse."

In an effort to reduce his sentence, the defendant, who faces three additional pending defilement charges in the same court, requested leniency, emphasising his role as a family provider and his desire to support his wife and children.

Upon delivering the judgement, Kadima acknowledged the witnesses' testimonies, which highlighted critical legal aspects of the defilement case.

Furthermore, Kadima emphasised the gravity of the crime and its devastating psychological and physical consequences for the child.