Kenya: Police hunt gang accused of raping gay men
Police in Kenya are investigating reports of a gang accused of blackmailing – and in some cases even raping gay men in the African nation.
Identity Kenya reports the gang, made up of around five men and a police officer, has been targeting men who are not open about their sexuality.
The gang operates by luring men to houses in Nairobi, where they are then robbed and in some cases sexually assaulted.
One victim, who is married with a wife, told the paper that the gang demanded money and threatened to release naked photos of him to his wife and colleagues, unless he paid a ransom.
According to the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), extortion is one of the biggest problems facing the country’s LGBT community.
The issue is aggravated by the fact that homosexuality remains banned in Kenya and those convicted of consensual same-sex activity can be issued with jail terms of between five and 14 years.
