A Swedish court has thrown out an appeal by a Kenyan national who was last year sentenced to a three year jail term for assaulting a Swedish woman. During the appeal hearing, which was attended by the Kenyan’s ex girlfriend, the Prosecution upgraded the charge from “assault” to “serious assault” while the charge of rape was also upgraded to “serous rape”.
The Kenyan was initially charged with “taking away the woman’s freedom” but at the appeal, this charge was also upgraded to “serious attempt to enslave” the woman.
The consequence of this series of upgrading is that the Kenyan had his sentence increased from three to six years. When he was sentenced last year, the Kenyan was subjected to a fine of 128.000 kr (Ksh 1.28 million) but at the appeal, this amount was increased to 220.000 kr (Ksh 2.2 million).
Apart from the Swedish woman who accused the Kenyan, another Swedish woman was among those who testified at the appeal. The Kenyan has another option of lodging another appeal against the sentence.
Last year, a Kenyan serving a five year jail sentence for infecting a Swedish woman with HIV also had his sentence increased from 3 to five years after one of the women he allegedly raped lodged an appeal to have his jail sentence increased.
When the appeal came up, the sentence was increased from 3 to five years with recommendation that the Kenyan be deported to Kenyan upon completion of his sentence.
Okoth Osewe
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