Stakeholders explore strategies to end child sexual abuse in Coast

According to Mutisya, there is a growing number of boys who are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.

In 2019, the unit established a forensic unit specialising in investigations into online child sexual exploitation. The unit has a dedicated link to Interpol’s International Child Exploitation database, the first of its kind in Africa, and a secure connection to the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

Of the Internet cases reported through the network, almost 95 percent involved boys.

The unit is equipped with cyber experts who work with the International Victim Identification Task Force Network to identify children depicted in child exploitation images and videos.

Mutisya said that since the establishment of the forensic department in 2019, no case the department has handled has been dismissed due to insufficient evidence or evidence that does not meet the required threshold.

The unit has carried out 21 successful prosecutions for online child exploitation and abuse and 53 cases of child trafficking.

John Marete, DCI’s head of liaison and corporate communications, urged journalists and police officers to handle sexual abuse cases in a way that does not re-traumatise victims.

He said ending sexual and gender-based violence is crucial to protecting the rights of children and ensuring a sustainable future for the country.

“The National Police will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to address SGBV more holistically,” he said, stressing the need for a good working relationship between the NPS and the media.

According to Vincent Chahale, Acting Country Director of IJM, it is alarming that 15.6 percent of girls and 6.4 percent of boys are sexually abused before reaching adulthood.

In Kwale, the situation is even worse: according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022, 14.8 percent of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant.

“IJM sees the media as an important partner in the fight against SGBV and gaps in the justice system mean perpetrators act with impunity and victims cannot access justice or support,” Chahale said.