There’s no room for white lies when making a police statement. Even the simplest omission or commission could land an innocent person in a jail as our justice system relies on witness statements. We’ve heard multiple stories of people wrongly imprisoned because of a false claim. However, the most disheartening ones are those who intentionally make a false police statement with malice.
That was the case with Julius Wambua, who was the latest focus on Citizen TV’s Prison Diaries. He was sentenced to life for defiling his daughter, a crime he never committed. Ten years later, the Citizen TV crew unearthed his file and followed up on the story which led to a confession from the alleged raped daughter. She stated that her mother masterminded the whole plot to inherit the innocent man’s property. A remorseful girl explained to her father that she wasn’t aware of her mother’s intention and simply went along with it.
What started as a false police statement escalated to the point where an innocent man almost spent the rest of his life behind bars. Though this is one of the few cases where the truth comes out, there is still a lot of trauma such people face.
Lost Time
In this case, the man talked about his business ventures and investments. It’s evident that he was a productive member of society. However, due to false imprisonment, it cut his productivity short. He could no longer provide for his family or make a decent living. going back to his normal life now will also be difficult because of that interruption.
Societal Stigma
As an ex-convict, guilty or innocent, society won’t look at you the same. In many cases, ex-convicts have to relocate due to discrimination from neighbours and friends. People don’t view them as worthy of a second chance in life because of their past. In turn, most ex-convicts return to a life of crime to make ends meet.
Bad influence
The once reputable man in society was locked up with some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. He was in Kamiti Maximum Prison with cold-hearted murderers, rapists and all kinds of criminals. For anybody, this could potentially have a negative effect on you. Such criminals could indict you into their gangs thus turning an innocent man into a criminal.
Trauma
It’s hard to forgive and forget. Once someone is imprisoned because of a false police statement, they’d want to go after whoever put them in there. In this case, he forgave his daughter and her mother for accusing him of defilement. However, getting over such an ordeal is both difficult and emotionally draining.
Thankfully, there are laws in place to punish anybody who makes a false police statement. According to Sec. 129 of the Penal Code, anyone found guilty of this offence is liable to a maximum of 3 years in prison. Therefore, there are better ways to solve your differences other than making a false police statement.
In other news, check out Boy Sexually Harassed By Teacher At St. James High School Kegonge, Embu
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