WAJIR, Kenya – The body of Gaala Aden Abdi, a 17-year-old refugee girl who was allegedly killed after resisting a forced marriage, will be exhumed today at Dagahaley refugee camp for a postmortem examination after a Wajir court ordered police to expedite the investigation into the murder within 10 days.
Wajir Principal Magistrate Roselyn Aganyo, on Thursday, said she was frustrated by the delay in the investigations of the case where three suspects were held by police for the murder of the girl.
“This is a very serious case, and justice must be served to the deceased and her family. I have ordered police to expedite the investigation within 10 days since justice delayed is justice denied,” she said.
The magistrate said that the body of the murdered girl, which was immediately buried in accordance with Muslim rituals, will be exhumed on Friday for a postmortem that will provide enough evidence required to support the case.
She expressed her concern, saying further delays were likely to destroy the evidence required for justice.
Aganyo further stated that currently the nature of the case was murder since life was lost, but using the postmortem result, various tests and photographs will help to produce more evidence on the torture and the alleged ordeal on the victim’s body, which was set ablaze.
It has now been 42 days since the death of Gaala Aden Abdi was reported after she was kidnapped, tortured and murdered after refusing to marry a man three times her age.
There was a public uproar over the incident, where it was alleged by her family members that she was kidnapped from her home at Dagahaley refugee camp, in the darkness and transported 150 kilometres to Wara Adenmasajida in Wajir South for the forced marriage. She was allegedly subjected to daily physical brutality before being murdered after a 27-day ordeal, and her body was set ablaze.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has also demanded justice for the victim and her family.
“The KNHCR strongly condemns this heinous crime and demands action to be taken against the perpetrators of this brutal act,” read their statement.
The organisation said the incident went beyond mere murder, as it was the worst form of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, which constitutes femicide.
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