Attacked and gang raped

By Qaabata Boru – qaabata007@yahoo.com

A refugee woman was attacked and gang raped in presence of her husband in Kakuma

A Somali family faced a horrible night attack where a mother of two was raped in the presence of her husband.

At 3 a.m. on the night of December 11, 2015, a group of unknown attackers armed with guns and other crude weapons destroyed a perimeter fence before breaking into the family home in Kakuma two zone one block three section of the camp.

According to the head of the family who was interviewed by KANERE, they were suddenly awakened by a loud bang on the house that was followed by heavy kicks on the door which broke it.

“They shone torchlight on our faces and started indiscriminately beating us in a small room. I saw two men with guns and two others with machetes and metal rods. I was hit with a rod on my knee and another attacker pulled my leg while a man with gun and another attacker started beating my husband. They warned they would shoot him if he failed to cooperate with them, the attackers forced him out of the house while two other attackers started raping me in turns at gunpoint. We were forced not to make any move or dare to scream or we would risk being shot as one of the attackers loaded his rifle. They repeatedly warned us in Swahili that they would kill us if we shouted for help. I could hear the struggle that my husband had with the attackers as men dragged him out of the house. He was overpowered by armed men and they continued to threaten to shoot us in the head if we continued to resist or dared to retaliate.

I was raped in turns in the presence of my husband. He was made to lie on the ground as the attackers changed their turns on me, they continuously raped me. They beat me even when I could not resist the four men who raped me. I received kicks, slaps and punches on my face, chest and legs even when I could not make any move because I felt so gross and weak. In that awful situation, the last thing I could remember that night was when I was assaulted by the third rapist and I lost consciousness. The following morning I found myself on the hospital bed.” Latifa narrated her nightmare.

According to Latifa in interview, the attackers, who are believed to be the members of the host community, stole all the properties in the house. The family lost food rations, mobile phones, a radio, a carpet, assorted clothes and shoes among other non-food items. The matter was reported to the Kenya police base in the camp under – OB 2/11/12/2015.

Latifa’s family arrived in Kakuma in 2009 after they were relocated from Dadaab complex due to security concerns when Al-shabaab assailants followed her family into Kenya after they fled Mogadishu, Somalia.

Latifa’s husband, Mohammed fled from the camp and deserted his wife after she was gang raped. The family has moved from the home where they were attacked due to their vulnerability status and are still waiting for protection from the UNHCR.

*Names and dates are changed in order to protect the victims.