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Study: Ex-partners, Pastor, lead list of sexual offenders

By Mercy Simiyu January 18th, 2023 2 min read

Your current or former husband and boyfriend are more likely to commit sexual offence against you compared to any other person, a government research reveals.

The research commissioned by the Kenya National bureau of statistics indicates that of all the affected respondents interviewed, 70% were sexually assaulted by their current husbands/intimate partners.

The study further shows former husband/Intimate partners come second on that list with a 19% rating, closely followed by relatives such as the father, step-father, and even brother.

“The most commonly reported perpetrators of sexual violence among women who have ever been married or ever had an intimate partner were current husbands or intimate partners. Similarly, the most commonly reported perpetrators of sexual violence among men who have ever been married or had an intimate partner were current wives or intimate partners,” the study reveals.

Notably, the study also reveals that police officers and religious leaders are on the list of person who are likely to sexually exploit you.

The research also indicates 73% are sexually abused by people they know.

It further shows that the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increase in sexual abuse among children as many schools were closed and people were mostly in lockdown thus effectively trapping victims in their homes with potential abusers In this, the pattern of sexual abuse changed as child victims are younger, more likely to be victimized by a neighbor in a private residence, and in the daytime, compared to pre-pandemic time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost one-third of women experience some form of physical and or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.

According to the WHO, as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners.

In Kenya, according to the most recent national data (which was published in 2014), overall, about 41% of women reported having experienced physical or sexual violence from their husbands or partners in their lifetime. About two-fifths of those women reported physical injuries from the violence.

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