Frida Njeri (not her real name), 27, was raped by a man she said wore “combat trousers” in the presence of her 12-year-old son. Like many women Human Rights Watch interviewed, she did not report the sexual assault to the police because she did not know the attackers and feared retaliation. Many of the women Human Rights Watch interviewed described the perpetrators as mostly police officers or men in green uniform who often carried guns, batons, tear gas canisters, whips, or wore helmets and other anti-riot gear. Some women who reported sexual violence were sent back to their homes without police taking statements, or they ridiculed them, verbally abused them, or failed to follow up on complaints.
© 2017 Bonnie Katei for Human Rights Watch