By Rebecca Kuku
Relatives of the grade 8 schoolgirl who said she was raped by her teacher in a Southern Highlands school accepted more than K2000 from the teacher’s family as part of “bel kol” compensation payment.
However, the girl’s father told The National that the compensation was received by his family without his consent.
“My family are now calling on me to bring my daughter back up for her to be compensated as the bel kol was already received,” he said.
The father made a call last week for police intervention after he was threatened, intimidated and pressured to remove the police report he had made against the teacher accused of raping his daughter, 16.
The teacher has been charged with raping a minor and is in custody. Police Commissioner Gari Baki said relatives of the accused would be arrested and charged with threatening.
He said threats against people reporting rape cases were against the law.
“Do not accept compensation for rape cases,” he said.
“If someone is raped, it is a criminal offence and a complaint must be laid with police who are duty-bound to arrest the suspect or suspects involved.”
Baki said teachers were given the responsibility to look after students and not to abuse them.
“The threats and intimidation that the accused relatives are allegedly making on the relatives of the young girl are unacceptable,” he said.
“Police will do everything possible to ensure that this matter is dealt with properly and those that are making threats will be arrested and charged.”