Last month, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) recommended that Joyce Bosibori Somoni, the suspect be arraigned and charged for assaulting and injuring her stepdaughter contrary to Section 251 of the Penal Code
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A man whose estranged wife assaulted her stepdaughter confronted the head of prosecutions at the Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday seeking justice for his child. The aggrieved father sought an explanation from the prosecution boss at the court, Mr Jonah Meroka asking why the suspect failed to appear in court to take a plea after being bonded by police to appear in court on March 15, 2023.
The case involves a deputy director in the Nairobi City County government Joyce Bosibori Somoni. She is accused of allegedly assaulting her stepdaughter who suffers from autistic disorder. The victim, a 28-year-old girl, is classified as a person living with a disability, through Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She was reportedly assaulted twice last December by her stepmother, sustaining injuries on the neck.
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Last month, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) recommended that the suspect be arraigned and charged for assaulting and injuring her stepdaughter contrary to Section 251 of the Penal Code. However, Joyce Bosibori Somoni has since then been enjoying the protection of some police officers at the Nairobi Regional Command and a state counsel in Kibera Law courts.On Wednesday the 15th of March 2023, the victim’s father approached Mr Meroka at Kibera Law Courts in the presence of the investigating officer, PC (W) Kombe, after it became apparent that the suspect was not in court.
“I am not happy with how this case is being handled. Does it mean my daughter who suffers from autism will not get justice because her stepmother is being shielded by state counsel”? Asked the father. In response, Mr Meroka retorted that he had instructions from his boss not to take the file to the court. The victim’s father asked who the boss was but Meroka claimed he was intimidating him. “I am not a small man na hautanitisha hata na magazeti”, Meroka rudely shouted to the man, causing a court orderly to intervene.
At that juncture, the victim’s father told Mr Meroka that he only wanted justice for his daughter who was living with a disability. “I am only here to ensure my daughter gets justice. Why are you acting as the investigator and prosecutor, in this case, involving my daughter and my estranged wife”?
The suspect reportedly has a strained relationship with her husband and she has moved out of their matrimonial home in Nairobi’s Runda Estate. The woman also faces separate charges of making a false report to the police claiming her husband had threatened to kill her together with their children on 9th January 2023.She reportedly tore her clothes in the presence of police officers and her daughter only to claim later that the husband had assaulted her. The husband claims Mr Meroka was interfering with the case involving his wife. Mr Meroka could be heard telling the investigating officer to listen to his directives.”
Why are you making it so complicated”, he asked the investigation officer in an apparent reference to the case file in question. You are an I.O. (Investigation Officer). A short while after the victim’s father left, Mr Meroka was heard instructing the investigation officer to extend the suspect’s bond. “Extend bond ya huyo mama nitajua vile nitafanya…” he said. No sooner had he finished with the investigation officer than he made a call to the suspect.” Are you coming? ok…at 11.00 am… your bond will be extended..ok come”, Meroka said in a telephone conversation.
The suspect in the rank of deputy director presented herself at Gigiri Police Station On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, the suspect accompanied by her advocate presented herself to Gigiri Police Station after being summoned as required by law.She was bonded to appear before Kibera Law Courts on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, to take a plea for allegedly assaulting her stepdaughter. But the case failed to take off, the matter was pushed to 30th March 2023.
