A 42-year-old widow from Migori county is seeking justice after she was allegedly raped by her brother-in-law, 28, on three separate occasions.

“The first two times he waylaid me in the bush when I was leaving work and raped me. The last time, he found me in my house and forced himself on me,” the woman claimed.

The widow has complained that attempts to seek justice have failed.

She claimed that despite reporting the three incidents to the police, the culprit has been walking free.

She said the last time he raped her, she reported the matter to the police and the man was arrested the following day, but he was released the same day.

“Since my husband died, I have been going through frustration which revolves around attempts to sell off our two acres of land,” she said.

Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) paralegal officer in Migori Gershon Okello said on Tuesday that in-laws have been behind most atrocities committed on widows.

He said attempts by widows to seek justice through the police and judicial system have been hampered by family members who refuse to cooperate.

“Most cases reported in our offices by widows are against their in-laws,” Okello said.

“We face a great challenge on following up on justice, as in most cases even family members try to bribe police to drop cases."

He said his office has several pending cases that have not been handled well by the police.

“The cases mostly revolve around land and sexual abuse,” Okello said.

He spoke to the Star in Migori town on Tuesday after the widow sought his help to seek justice.

Okello and the woman are now pushing for justice and want the brother-in-law arrested. They said other family members, including her father-in-law, are not helping.