Justice for Victims of Sexual Violence

Victims of sexual violence may not want to speak immediately about what they have gone through, a witness told the Kenyan High Court during a hearing into a petition filed by survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) perpetrated after the 2007 presidential poll.

Saida Ali, a former executive director of the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), made the observation on July 21 in response to a question from Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Edwin Okello. Ali, who is the 15th witness for the petitioners, was testifying for a second day during which lawyers representing the government and government agencies cross-examined her. You can read about her first day of testimony here.

To read more, please visit: http://www.ijmonitor.org/2016/07/sexual-violence-victims-do-not-always-speak-immediately-about-their-assault-says-witness/

The terrifying news of the discovery of the dead bodies of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda, and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri at the beginning of this month sent shock waves through the Kenyan population and the global community. The three disappeared following a court hearing on allegedly trumped-up charges against Josephat Mwenda. The three men were brutally tortured, murdered, and dumped in a river. Police investigators believe their own officers may be to blame.

To read more, please visit: http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/blog/lack-of-accountability-fuels-police-impunity-in-kenya.html

A witness said non-governmental organizations working with victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) committed during the upheaval that followed the December 2007 presidential election were “upset” when a top prosecutor said police did not treat the sexual violence as conflict-related.

Saida Ali told the Kenyan High Court on Wednesday that when the senior prosecutor spoke at a civil society function in October 2012, representatives of non-governmental organizations present had expected to hear more from the senior prosecutor than there was little that could be done about the SGBV cases they had on file.

To read more, please visit: http://www.ijmonitor.org/2016/07/sexual-violence-victims-want-kenyan-state-to-acknowledge-what-happened-to-them-says-witness/

Hearings in a case filed by eight survivors of police rape, gang-rape and forcible male circumcision by civilians during the post-2007 election violence resume at the High Court in Nairobi today.

Several expert witnesses have taken the stand. Today former executive director of Coalition on Violence Against Women, Saida Ali, will take the witness stand.

– See more at: http://www.jfjustice.net/en/victims-voices/victims-of-post-election-violence-return-to-court-for-hearing#sthash.ZoR0DIhe.dpuf