| dc.description.abstract | Prosecution of child sex offenders is one way of putting in practice provisions that are contained in the Sexual Offences Act. The Sexual Offences Act has excellent provisions that could be utilized to protect children from sexual violence, however if the challenges of prosecutionSare not addressed, the provisions in this Act remain just good laws. The study recognized that despite having very good laws as contained in Sexual Offences Act, deterrence is yet to be reached as witnessed by an upsurge in child sexual abuse cases reported every day.
The main objective of the study was to examine the major challenges encountered while prosecuting child sex offenders in Nairobi with the view of finding solutions to those challenges. It also aimed at identifying some of the difficulties experienced by sexually abused children while going through the legal system and analyzed the inter-linkages of various stakeholders when handling these cases. Since there are several players involved in handling child sexual abuse cases, the study used a heterogeneous sample of 45 respondents that was purposively selected to give key information to the topic under study.
In-depth interviews and questionnaires were the two main data collection tools used. The study yielded qualitative data as the respondents shared their personal experiences. There are several challenges that need senous attention if justice for sexually abused children is to be realized. There is need for a concerted effort by all players in this field to ensure that sexually abused children receive comprehensive services in a sensitive manner. The difficulties children experience result from the way they are handled after the abuse more than the abuse itself. Several recommendations have been made on the basis of these findings. The government and other agencies involved in children matters need to see to it that there is a unified protocol of handling child sex abuse cases among all the concerned parties. Some of the recommendations need to be effected immediately as a matter of urgency. | en_US |
