Directions have been issued to police to conduct separate investigations into the handling of late Jenelyn Kennedy’s case by the police in the last two years leading up to her death.
Police Commissioner David Manning issued this directive yesterday following a briefing from the Family and Sexual Violence Unit.
The brief detailed her visits to FSVU in the three months prior to her death.
After being briefed by the Family and Sexual Violence Unit, Commissioner Manning in a statement raised different questions given the fact that Jenelyn lived in an abusive relationship for over two years.
Questions he raised include what police did to protect her, why interventions were not made, and where family members were when she was tortured during the last five days of her life.
These he said were questions that needed answers and weaknesses within the systems that need to be identified and changed to ensure women are better protected from such violence.
Information provided to the Commissioner by the Family and Sexual Violence Unit include Bhosip engaging his lawyer to call the FSVU and when told to bring his client to the FSVU office the next day, he never turned up until today.
An interim Protection Order was served on Kaiwi but sadly, the order did not serve its purpose. He murdered her even when a protection order was in place.
Mr. Manning expressed concern if the police had done enough for Jenelyn if the laws were adequate to deal with such cases, why Jenelyn came out of Safe Houses, why it took months to arrest Bhosip and if the government systems are adequate to not just protect women but to sustain their livelihoods in the long run.
This he says is because victims of Family and Sexual Violence at most times come out with no one to support them financially, forcing most of them to go back to their abusive partners.
Manning plans to call for a forum after investigations are completed to looks at ways to strengthen existing laws, ensure police are more responsive, and to push for the state to provide long term support systems for victims of family and sexual violence.
In the meantime, the Family of Bhosip Kaiwi has taken out a full-page paid advertisement on the two dailies expressing their sorrow and apologizing to the family and the nation for the actions of their family member.
They also condemned his actions and also called for justice to be served and promised not to interfere or influence the justice system.
Seemingly distancing themselves from the wealth Bhosip flaunted on social media, they said he was a man who lived his own life accumulated his own wealth, and conducted himself in a way he thought fit.
But many on social media thought the apology from the family came late and said they should have done more to save her and the apology they alleged is to save the family name.
Ruth Rungula National EMTV News
