Kenya, July 23 -- Yesterday, a man who had been charged with defilement for almost a year was abruptly found not guilty and released right away after new evidence unexpectedly surfaced, shocking the judge and the prosecutors. The courtroom was tense and silent. Since last year, the 32-year-old Githurai mechanic, known as Maina, has been fighting the case. After the neighbour's daughter accused him of luring her into his home and committing the crime, he was taken into custody. Maina asserted his innocence and contested all the charges.His family said that Maina had a spotless record and had never been afoul of the law. They said that he was a diligent worker whose sole transgression was turning down approaches from a neighbour's cousin. My life was nearly wrecked by this case. I lost clients' friends, and some of my family members even stopped communicating with me. Outside the court, Maina spoke while crying. To read more click here.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.