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{
    "id": 252057,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/252057/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. M. Kilonzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 47,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo"
    },
    "content": "April 26, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 749 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the time to remove those doubts is now. We are saying: Not any more! There will be a judge telling this woman: \"I am sorry, I cannot believe you because nobody else has come forward\", or \"I cannot believe you because it has taken you ten years to report the rape\". What happens if it is a five-month-old child? An hon. Member has asked me: \"Mutula, are you saying that if I go and have intercourse with a woman, she can go and complain after a year?\" At what point will you put the deadline for a five-month-old child? When will she know that her life was altered irreparably such as to be able to report to a police officer and thereafter to a magistrate? This is something we must address very soon to make sure that our country overcomes this enormous problem of having a modern country but with a totally outdated law. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me talk about compensation and vulnerable witnesses. I know that there are a lot of Christians and Muslims here. They know about the confessions, particularly in the Catholic Church. It is very difficult, at best of times, for a human being to go and confess to another person that they have been subjected to forced sex. It becomes even more difficult in a public hearing for a woman who has been subjected to this treatment to speak publicly in the eyes of the media and everyone else. For the first time, we want to create a window for those people who feel intimidated by the court process and all the people around them so that they can give that evidence in a calm manner and also ensure that, that evidence is taken and they are protected. We are also introducing a system whereby they are subject to counselling. A country that forgets that victims of crime need to be looked after is a country that does not serve the people. Therefore, we are introducing counselling. Similarly, we would require training of the magistrates, the Judiciary and the police force. When we were having this seminar in one of the hotels, we were told that this woman was asked---"
}