If one is a victim of rape or assault in Kenya, there are laid down laws to ensure that the victim gets justice for the injustice perpetrated upon her by the perpetrator. However, without taking proper steps after the ordeal, the victim may end up losing the case due to lack of evidence or poor defense on the side of the prosecution.
Immediately after the ordeal, the victim is advised to go to the police station to report the incidence. They are urged not to take a bath or change clothes as these two actions may alter the evidence that the police may use for prosecution purposes. Additionally, taking a bath will wash away any traces of the perpetrator and hence a weak defense on the side of prosecution.
If possible, the victim is urged to mark the face of the perpetrator so that they can be able to identify them in court. If they cannot identify them, then other methods such as matching of alien DNA found on the victim with that of the accused may be used. This also explains why the victim should not change clothes or take a bath before reporting to the police officers.
It is important to note that once the victim reports to the police officers and a case is set in the courts, then the victim will have to testify in court against the perpetrator. This therefore means that the victim should ensure that they give factual information to the police officers since this information might be used against them by the defendant if it is not true.
If the victim feels like they are not in a state to give a straight statement due to trauma or other understandable reason, they should make it known to the police. This should be done to ensure that the statement given by the victim is a true account of the happenings and should be used to build a strong case against the perpetrator. The worst thing however,, is to keep quiet after such an ordeal.