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Family calls for probe after 15-year-old takes own life at police station

Family calls for probe after 15-year-old takes own life at police station
A graphical representation of condolence message. PHOTO/Pexels

A 15-year-old minor died under unclear circumstances inside a pit latrine at Bamba Police Station in Kilifi County.

Chrispus Kitsao was being held at the police station in connection to claims of having assaulted his girlfriend.

Ganze sub-county police commander Paul Yator stated that the minor is reported to have died by suicide after being assigned to clean the pit latrine.

“The minor was being held at the station awaiting completion of investigations, however on Saturday morning he allegedly took his own life by hanging himself using his shirt inside a toilet within the police station precincts where he had been detained,” stated Yator.

Yator added that the deceased had been arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, who is also a minor aged 16.

The police boss added that the deceased had earlier requested for water to clean the toilet, a duty he had reportedly been assigned while in custody.

It however remains unclear since a cellmate who was sharing the same cells with Kitsao claims that the deceased stormed the police cells and went to the pit latrine while unaccompanied by a police officer to oversee and supervise the cleaning exercise.

The key witness in the now murder report is the one who discovered the lifeless body of the deceased after he went to relieve himself.

“I found the door to the adjacent pit latrine had been locked from inside and upon checking l discovered the body dangling from the window of the pit latrine,” stated the witness.

On her part Kitsao’s grandmother Gladys Katana called for speedy investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of his grandson.

She stated that the family had received threats from the police officers prior his arrest.

“We suspect foul play in his death there was no officer who accompanied him to the toilet as required whenever one is held at the police station why was this ignored, if only he was supervised his death would have been prevented,” stated Katana.

It has also emerged that prior to his arrest he was undergoing counselling, through the Department of children services.

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