Dutch national held hostage 20 girls in Roysambu, bribed them with Sh100 everyday to defile them

A 66-year-old Dutch national was Friday charged at a Milimani court with defiling two girls aged eight and 10.

Retired lawyer Hans Vriens was accused of sodomising a 10-year-old girl on different days in 2014, at an apartment in Roysambu, Nairobi.

He is also accused of defiling a eight year old girl on diverse dates in 2011 in the same area.

Vriens is facing additional charges of committing indecent act with the minors where he is alleged to have done imprintable acts with them.

The suspect allegedly duped the children's mothers that he would sponsor the minors’ education at his school in Yatta, Kitui county.

The children were given Sh 100 each after every sexual encounter with the suspect and threatened to kill them if the reported him to anyone. At some point, Vreins is said to have housed 20 girls at his rented apartment and could defile three of them in turns. The oldest of the defiled girls was 14 and some of the minors lured others to Vreins house.

One of the children's mothers was given Sh 500 and sent to buy snacks for the suspect and some two minors leaving them at his house where he defiled them before she returned. The suspect took pictures of himself during the acts with the minors.

The woman was also given cash to buy three pigs after proposing to Vreins that she wanted to start an agribusiness.

The parents discovered there was a problem after one of the children refused to greet Vreins when they met him inside the Thika Road Mall twice.

Vreins' lawyer deserted him just before he was charged. He denied the charged before resident magistrate Caroline Nzimbe..

The DCI filed an affidavit to oppose his release on bails and bond.

Detective Paul Aboge of the Anti Human trafficking and Child Protection Unit said Vriens is likely to abscond court in the event he is granted bails.

"The respondent went into hiding for the last six months and changed his known residence and could not be traced even by his mobile phone number," Aboge.

"After a thorough search, he [Vreins] was found hiding in a closet in a vacant house within an apartment to evade arrest and is therefore likely to disappear if bailed out."

Aboge said Vreins is believed to be in communication with some of the witnesses and is more likely to interfere with the witnesses if released.

Vreins opposed the application by Aboge.

He disputed claims that he has no known fixed abode.

The lawyer said he has a home in Kyusyani village in Kitui county where his wife and daughter lives, and a rented apartment in Nairobi.

He also dismissed claims that he was hiding for six months.

The foreigner said he was hospitalised in Mombasa for four months with a bout of Malaria and other complications and during his stay at hospital, his wife contacted the investigators. He said the investigators did not indicate that they were looking for him.

Nzimbe remanded him in custody until November 16 when a pre-bail report will be tabled before the court. The minors will testify before Vreins is released on bonds.