The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers on Monday launched a manhunt for two guardians, a father and an uncle, for assaulting a minor entrusted in their care.
The two suspects, both males, are wanted for the assault of their kin, an incident that was captured on a camera recording that has since gone viral on the internet.
The recording attracted the attention of security agencies who quickly intervened and rescued the minor from the hands of the perpetrators.
While presenting the minor at Port Victoria Police Station, children's officers informed the police that the heart-wrenching incident took place three months ago at the minor's home located in the Musoma area on the Kenya-Tanzanian border.
It is suspected the minor has been on the receiving end of the assaults effected by people who were supposed to take care of him.
During the incident, the minor's uncle was captured on camera manhandling the minor as his father recorded the happenings without an iota of guilt.
The minor suffered serious injuries that are still healing due to a lack of immediate medical attention and negligence of the said suspects.
When the incident emerged, the children's officers took the minor to the hospital where he was treated, and the medical form (P3) was duly filled, opening a new case against the two suspects.
Further, detectives in Bunyala recorded witness statements and launched hot pursuit for the two ruffians.
The two are on the run and are believed to be holed up in a neighbouring country. However, pragmatic measures are underway to flush them out and bring them to justice.
This is just one incident that highlights cases of child abuse simmering inside many homes that go unreported.
With the Kenyan government being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the government is keen to ensure that children's rights are protected from all forms of violence, including sexual and physical assault.
Once arrested, the two suspected will be arraigned in a court of law for violating the child’s rights and inflicting psychological and physical harm to the minor.
