Press Statement on Fr. Kizito's Case

FATHER KIZITO RENATO SESANA IS INNOCENT

In a letter dated  December 1 2010, Mrs. Alice Ondieki, Deputy Prosecuting Counsel in the Kenya Attorney General's Chambers, writes, under instruction from the same A.G., to the Director of the Criminal Investigations in Nairobi on the matter of the inquiry into allegations of unnatural offenses at Kivuli Centre (Nairobi) by Fr. Renato Sesana, alias Fr. Kizito against young boys.

Mrs. Ondieki states, "I’ am pleased to notify you that the file was placed before the Hon. Attorney General who after perusal on the same has directed as follows: there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute the suspect".

In the following paragraphs of the same document, it is noted that the key witnesses and victims retracted their accusation, and they have stated of having been given money to implicate the suspect. It is further noted that a medical examination has confirmed that the person in the images that were circulated is not the accused, and it is not clear who obtained the compact disk (CD) and from where, because accusers and witnesses mentioned above are contradicting each other on its source. Finally one of the witnesses has written an apology letter to the suspect.

The conclusion is that, "further investigations have not yielded any substantial evidence to support the prosecution case. Consequently, you have been advised to close the file," reads the letter.

The above ending is very different from what the accusers of Father Kizito were saying in June and July 2009. In sworn affidavits, press statements and media interviews they were accusing Fr. Kizito of being a pedophile who over the years had sodomized hundreds of children. These accusations were given wide media coverage both in the local and international press, in what amounted to character assassination. They also accused Fr. Kizito of having illegally masterminded their removal from Koinonia Community trusteeship as retaliation for having exposed him.  

As a consequence, the operation and the support of the 6 street children centers managed by Koinonia Community, of which Father Kizito is the founder, were heavily affected and there was the risk that the more than 250 children and youth directly supported by Koinonia - and the more than 1000 indirect beneficiaries could see their future in danger.

Fortunately a strong international support never ceased, particularly from the Italian Non Governmental Organization AMANI and other friends. The social work of Koinonia is going on very strongly, as shown also, among other facts, by the March for Children’s Rights held in Kibera on December 11 2010 that saw the participation of dozens of Community and Faith Based Organizations and almost two thousand children.

The investigations just concluded never found a shred of evidence to support any of the accusations.

Natural justice and social responsibility now requires that the international and local media who adversely mentioned Father Kizito in a variety of articles focusing on him or in the context of pedophilia, must now give due relevance to the above final findings. The person of Father Kizito must be given the respect and dignity he deserves.

Koinonia Community thanks all the people that in this time of trial have stood by Father Kizito and its activities, with their economic support and prayers.

We also pray that in the future no such other media campaign will be launched without first conducting satisfactory investigations into such allegations, against innocent people, who are working at the service of the disadvantaged, to discredit them and their Church, by people guided by mean, selfish and shortsighted economic advantages.

For more information

Contact:

Eric Sande

Communications Officer

Koinonia Community

Email: communications@koinoniakenya.org

Cell: +254721952038

Attachments

• Press Statement on Father Kizito's Case (197 Kb - Format doc)