Chuka family suspects foul play as 'defiled girl' suffers stillbirth

Police in Tharaka-Nithi County have vowed to thoroughly probe the stillbirth that a girl said to have been defiled suffered at Chuka County Referral Hospital.

The 14-year-old Standard Eight girl would have given birth on July 26.

Her headteacher took her to Weru dispensary and then to the referral hospital on Thursday.

However, after a few hours with medical officers in a room in a maternity ward, her mother was informed of the stillbirth.

DNA TESTS

Chuka Sub-county divisional police commander (OCPD) Joseph Kavoo told the Nation on Sunday that the hospital will submit a comprehensive report on the cause of the stillbirth.

Mr Kavoo said police investigating the defilement case visited the hospital after receiving a call from the administration.

They collected samples from the girl, the foetus and later the teacher suspected to have committed the crime, for DNA tests.

CONFLICTING REPORTS

The girl's family wants the hospital to explain why the girl's mother was not informed earlier of complications.

They also allege that the elderly woman was quickly asked to sign papers allowing the hospital to dispose of the foetus immediately after the stillbirth.

The family further said they received conflicting medical reports from Weru and Chuka. They said the report from Weru said some foetal movement had been registered while the one from Chuka said the bay had been dead for three days.

“We want to know the truth about the death of the baby because the reports we are getting from the two health facilities are contradictory," one of the relatives said.

CONSPIRACY CLAIM

The girl's family also noted that she woke up in good health that Thursday and walked to school, only for them to be told she had been taken to hospital by the head teacher.

They alleged a conspiracy between the suspect, Jediel Mwiti, and the hospital to kill the baby as part of a cover-up.

The case was last mentioned at a Chuka court on June 25 and the suspect released on a bond of Sh200,000.

Chuka hospital's Medical Superintendent Dr Maurine Ogeto did not answer phone calls and messages for comment on the family's allegations.

However, the county's Health Chief Officer, Kimathi Njeru, said Dr Ogeto informed him that the state of the baby's body indicated it had died days earlier.

Mr Njeru said he was aware of the family’s complaints and that investigations were ongoing.

He said that since the defilement case was ongoing, the family would get reports through police.