The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has secured a 15-year prison sentence against a 32-year-old barber after a court in Kilifi convicted him of raping a 21-year-old student.

The case was prosecuted by Principal Prosecution Counsel Winnie Atieno Otieno, who presented compelling testimonial, medical, and forensic evidence linking the accused to the offence.

Karisa had been charged with rape contrary to Section 3(1)(a)(c) of the Sexual Offences Act, No. 3 of 2006. The offence was committed on 10th July 2024 at Kasameni Village in Kilifi County.

Prosecution established that the victim was walking to school at about 6:00 a.m. when the accused accosted her while armed with a knife and a bottle. He threatened and strangled her before forcibly removing her clothes and sexually assaulting her.

The court heard that shortly after the attack, an independent witness encountered the complainant, observed that her school uniform was soiled, and received her immediate report of assault.

“Medical evidence presented by the prosecution confirmed a recent sexual assault, including a freshly broken hymen and bleeding. Further, forensic analysis detected spermatozoa on exhibits recovered during investigations,” ODPP said in a statement.

DNA profiling conclusively linked biological material recovered from the exhibits to the accused, corroborating the complainant’s account and placing him at the scene of the crime.

Although Karisa denied the offence and raised an alibi defence, the court found that the prosecution’s evidence overwhelmingly placed him at the scene and conclusively identified him as the perpetrator.

In sentencing the accused to 15 years’ imprisonment, the court underscored the gravity of the offence and the need to protect vulnerable members of society from sexual violence.

The accused was granted 14 days to exercise his right of appeal against both the conviction and sentence.