MANDERA—Two teenagers are nursing serious injuries after they were gang-raped by a group of six men at their homestead in Ali Jardees village, 17 kilometres West of Fino.
The sisters aged 15 and 17 were attacked while at home on Saturday night. Their mother was similarly assaulted with bayonet in her quest to save them from the sexual violence.
The girls are now receiving treatment for trauma and deep injuries at Mandera County Referral Hospital.
Mandera leaders led by the Women Representative, Amina Gedo condemned the incident.
“I am shocked to the core getting to know of the brutal rape and assault meted on two teenage girls,”Gedo said in statement on Sunday.
She added: “As a mother too this breaks my heart and it is saddening.”
She stated that the increasing cases of sexual assault against girls and women in Mandera would now be dealt with going forward with seriousness it calls for.
“Our girls and womenfolk are vulnerable and should not be subjected to sexual assault and violent crimes. This incident in Ali Jardees village and many others happening amidst us have to all be condemned equally. I have taken up the matter with authorities in Mandera town and will pursue this matter until its very end.” Gedo said.
Last year, Mandera leaders resolved to do away with a local arbitration system that is believed to encourage gender-based violence.
The maslah, is it is commonly known, is a local justice system in which rape or defilement suspects are asked to give livestock to the family of the victim as retribution.
Leaders say the traditional mediation system encourages rape and defilement because it has been abused.
Some elders have been accused of using maslah as an avenue to get cash from the offenders.
