No Silence for Elizabeth Ochanya

On Saturday 3rd November 2018, 13 years old Elizabeth Ochanya was buried amid tears. A promising future destroyed by the inordinate sexual appetite of a man and his son who were meant to be her guardian. For five years she had suffered sexual abuse and died as a result of complications from Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF).

Elizabeth’s death must not be in vain as perpetrators of the heinous crime against her body must be made to face the wrath of the law. Also, the gender unit in all law enforcement organisations must and should be strengthened to tackle all cases of sexual and gender-based violence and not tagging them ‘ a family matter’ which is what happens in most cases.

The government at all levels must endeavour to provide basic necessities such as schools in all communities in view of the requisite value of education to community and national development as well as its interconnection to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and African Union Agenda 2063. If good schools are in Elizabeth’s community, her parents would not have deemed it necessary to go to the city to get quality education.

Finally, the death of Elizabeth Ochanya is a wake-up call for the judiciary to handle cases of rape assiduously while also ensuring adequate psychological and psycho-social support for rape victims.