A 54-year-old man has been accused of breaking his 45-year-old wife’s ribs while trying to forcefully circumcise her using pliers.
The incident occurred on Tuesday September 7 in Mombasa, Kenya and it was learnt that the couple have lived together for 26 years.
The woman who disclosed that she broke her ribs while struggling to prevent her husband from circumcising her, said they had a fight shortly after he arrived home around 5 pm and found her outside the house with other neighbours.
Around 8pm, she alleged that the man dragged her inside the house and beat her to an extent that she fainted. The distraught woman said her husband then undressed her and inserted pliers into her private parts to circumcise her, without prior notice.
She told K24 Digital;
“He has been violent towards me since I relocated to Mombasa from upcountry after I discovered that he had another woman whom he used to live with.
“After I fainted, he removed my pants and inserted the pliers in my private parts. The pain was too much. I have not been able to walk properly since then and I have not sought proper medication due to financial constraints. I have to deal with bleeding every day.
“He has never asked me to undergo circumcision peacefully. Whenever he becomes violent he always wants to circumcise me using crude weapons.”
According to her, this is the second time her husband has tried to circumcise her as he tried doing so in August.
She added;
“He almost succeeded in cutting me since I had fainted after a fight where he literary broke my back as confirmed by the doctors. Amidst much pain, I regained consciousness forcing him to stop. He was using some crude metal.
“Last month, he used pliers on my private parts and I bled so much. I however didn’t report to police for fear of my life.”
According to medical documents from the Gender Violence Recovery programme at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital-Mombasa, the woman was treated in August for a fracture on the right hand as a result of physical assault. She said the assault was also an attempt to forcefully circumcise her.
The document read;
“The patient has a history of physical assault by her husband. She came to the hospital complaining of chest pains, a broken arm and general body pains so we ran an x-ray text that eventually showed a fracture on the right ribs.”
Her husband however denied the claims, saying his wife was the one assaulting him. He said;
“I have not inserted anything in her private parts. I suspect she has another man and I’m now ready to let her go since she is unable to take care of the kids.”
