When 16 year-old Liz was beaten and gang raped, the police let her six attackers go. When over a million of us made a scandal of this, their bosses just transferred them to another station, but now we can ensure that Kenya’s police help victims, not violators!
It’s crazy that these police are still in uniform, on the front lines of Kenya’s war on womenin which two thirds of school girls suffer sexual abuse. It’s time to turn up the heat on the national police chief who tried to blame Liz and her family, and the national prosecutor who’s only paid lip service to her case, letting five out of six suspects remain in hiding.
We do this by turning our amazing community into a virtual law enforcement agency,bringing public pressure on Kenya’s top cops through billboards, radio ads and a social media blitz. Let’s get started right now:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/liz_ftw_2/?bWiHveb&v=38255
Liz’s story is horrifying. The 16-year-old was walking home from her grandfather’s funeral last year when she was gang raped by six men. When they were through with her, they threw her, badly injured, down a toilet pit. Hours later, when neighbours found her, she identified her attackers right away. But the police simply logged the attack as an “assault” and said the accused could go free with no charges if they merely mowed the lawn outside the police station.
The world rallied behind Liz — 1.7 million of us joined the call for justice, backed a march in Nairobi by women’s groups and exposed this horrific case in the media. This week’s trial is a good first step, but the police officers who let the attackers off scot-free are still working as police, and the police are making little or no effort to track down the remaining attackers, despite strong leads.
In Kenya, two thirds of school girls and half of school boys have been sexually abused. Kenya has strict anti-rape laws, but all too often the police get away with ignoring them. Unless we help ensure police accountability, these outrages will continue. Let’s make them so infamous that Kenya’s police chief has to act. Add your name now and together we’ll overwhelm the airwaves with our calls for justice:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/liz_ftw_2/?bWiHveb&v=38255
Last year, our community joined the massive call to bring justice for Liz. We helped ensure her attackers would face a court of law, and now that step forward is at stake. Let’s come together once again to demand those responsible are held to account to make sure rape is no longer brushed aside — for Liz and for the millions of survivors of sexual violence everywhere.
With hope and determination,
Jeremy, Marie, Sayeeda, Caroline, Alex, Sam, Emma and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS: Liz is a pseudonym given by the news outlet that broke her story and has since been widely used. She is not pictured here.
MORE INFORMATION
Brave Busia girl battles as her rapists go scot free (Daily Nation)
http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/DN2/When-rapists-go-scot-free/-/957860/2022572/-/skd9s8z/-/index.html
Rape suspect to appear in court on Monday (Standard Digital)
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000107687&story_title=rape-suspect-to-appear-in-court-on-monday/
After Kenya’s landmark rape decision, all eyes on the police (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/after-kenyas-landmark-rape-decision-all-eyes-fall-on-the-police/article13545136/
