More than 1,000 school teachers have been sacked in Kenya for allegedly sexually abusing their female students in the last two years, officials say.<br /><br />The teachers were sacked for abuses ranging from inappropriate behaviour, which includes kissing or touching, to sexual intercourse, which in some cases has resulted in pregancies.<br /><br />Most of the victims were aged between 12 and 15, according to Ahmed Hussein, a senior government official. <br /><br />The wide scale of abuse was brought to light after the government set up a nationwide toll-free helpline.<br /><br />Information fed to authorities from the calls led to the dismissal of 600 male teachers last year and 550 more this year.<br /><br />But for many of the victims the sackings were not enough and they have sought legal redress over the abuse.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi spoke to the family of 14-year-old who was impregnated by her teacher and is now trying to take her case to court to demand much needed financial support for the four-month old baby.<br /><br />But according to Irene Nyamu, an employee at Child Line Kenya, although some perpetrators have been prosecuted and sentenced accordingly, the process tends to be long and frustrating. <br /><br />"Sometimes we have cases where a child has been defiled. Their cases take two to three years to reach a court. Adjournments are made every few weeks," she said.<br /><br />"It is very frustrating for a parent who has to travel a distance to get to court and then be told the matter has been postponed."<br /><br />[October 22, 2010]
