DCI Partners With The International Justice Mission In Training Gender Officers

by Ndungu Brian July 4, 2022

written by Ndungu Brian July 4, 2022

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has partnered with the International Justice Mission (IJM) to provide training on gender-related issues.

The Investigators based in three Coastal counties have been trained on how to curb Child Sex trafficking and other related vices, that are prevalent in the country’s tourism hub.

In the training, close to 100 detectives have been trained on how to identify the stages through which children are groomed for sexual exploitation, identifying children prone to sex trafficking and the roles played by various perpetrators and actors in a trafficking cycle.

The officers were drawn from Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties and were taken through the legal framework for Child Sex Trafficking in Kenya as set out in the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act.

According to one of the facilitators Naomi Gichuki, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Legal Consultant, the training was key in preparing the officers to handle the vice that if left unabated, would destroy the future of many children especially at the coast.

“Innocent children are lured by traffickers with offers of food, clothes, affection, friendship and love then after cultivating some level of trust, the traffickers engage them in prostitution away from their friends and family,” says Gichuki.

The officers were also sensitized on how to adequately interview victims without re-traumatizing them, how to handle crime scenes, evidence management, chain of custody and transnational child sex trafficking.

The training was culminated with the launch of a child-friendly interview room for victims of child sex trafficking, which was commissioned at the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit (AHTCPU) offices in Mombasa on June, 30, 2022.

The DCI was represented by the the head of the Child Protection Unit, Ms Mueni Mutisya.

Child sex trafficking investigations present unique challenges to law enforcement agencies and require a multi-jurisdictional response, to ensure the protection of victims and effective prosecution of offenders.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations welcomed the partnership with the IJM, as one of the ways of ensuring safety and security of children in the increasingly globalized society.

Ndungu Brian

Brian is a multimedia journalist, photojournalist, writer and social media strategist with 3 years of experience in digital and broadcast media. A proficient reporter of current affairs within and across our borders. Your story is the King, thorough research makes it the Kingmaker. Get in touch; at janynbrian@gmail.com