This article analyses the dilemmas encountered in enforcing the Kenyan law on defilement, focusing specifically on consensual sex between adolescents. It argues that, although punishing adults who have sex with minors is clearly justified, punishment cannot be justified in the case of minors who engage in “experimental” sex with each other. It challenges the current legal regime that allows only one minor (male) to be charged, and not the other (female), noting that neither of the mutual participants would feel vindicated by punishing the other. Similarly, it shows that charging both participants also poses legal and policy challenges. Consequently, it argues that charging adolescents for defilement when they have consensual sex with each other goes against the very policy that informed the adoption of the anti-defilement provisions. The article recommends that Kenya's legislation is reformed to create a legal regime that protects juveniles from sexual violation without victimizing them.

本文分析了在执行肯尼亚关于污秽的法律时遇到的困境，特别关注青少年之间的自愿性行为。其辩称，虽然惩罚与未成年人发生性关系的成年人显然是正当的，但对于与他人进行“实验性”性行为的未成年人，惩罚是不正当的。它挑战了目前只允许指控一名未成年人（男性）而不是另一名（女性）的法律制度，并指出双方都不会因为惩罚对方而感到无罪。同样，它表明向两个参与者收费也带来了法律和政策挑战。因此，它认为，在青少年双方自愿发生性行为时对他们进行污秽指控违背了通过反污秽条款的政策。