A girl, 12-years old and in Standard 5, from Mbayani Township is grappling with thoughts of being a mother after a series of sexual en-counters with a 30-year-old businessman.
Blantyre Police have since arrested the sexual perpetrator only identified as Vaison Masangwi who plies his trade at Wenela Bus depot. The man hails from Mbawela village T/A Nsaswa in Thyolo district.
It all started on the evening hours of October 9, 2012, when the victim’s mother was approached by neighbours who became suspicious of the little girl’s condition.
When they jointly pressed her whether she had a boyfriend or indulged in sexual activity with any man, she confessed that her former neighbour has been defiling her since April, 2012, before he moved from the neighbourhood two months ago.
She was taken to One Stop Centre at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital on October 10, 2012, for a medical examination which confirmed she was 12 weeks pregnant.
Signs supporting a history of sexual contact in the recent past, which included multiple genital warts consistent with a history of past sexual contact, were also detected. It was also soon after the test when the little helpless victim started narrating her ordeal to the police officer, parents and the medical personnel.
“It was around April this year when Masangwi; uncle to her friend, invited the victim into his house at night. Then his left hand covered up her mouth before dragging her on the floor and removed her skirt and underwear.
“She said she tried to shout for help but she was threatened to be killed, even if she dared to reveal it to any person. Masangwi had sexual intercourse with her that night and continued to defile her until he left the neighbourhood,” reads a statement recorded by Blantyre police.
Masangwi admitted to the police to have been defiling the young girl and being responsible for the minor’s pregnancy. According to Blantyre Police deputy spokesper¬son Lameck Yona Thembachako, Masangwi confessed that he took advantage of the victim’s vulner¬ability to engage in cheap and unprotected sex with her.
“Masangwi told the police that the girl is poor therefore he had the opportunity to solicit sex from her the time his wife went to her village. He claimed that one day he asked the victim if he could be supporting her financially so that she is able to buy food as her mother left them (their family) without food at home.
“Then the helpless girl accepted not knowing the evil intentions behind until he started defiling her,” said Thembachako.
He said Masangwi used to invite the victim to his house where she was being given money not exceeding K200. And that in the month of April alone, he had sexual intercourse with the minor three times.
Thembachako said Masangwi has already appeared before Blantyre Magistrate Court for trial on charges of defilement and impregnating a minor. Commenting on the development, Girls Empowerment Network (GENET), a Blantyre based NGO which works to advance the rights, status and well-being of adolescent girls and young women in the country condemned the sexual abuse in strongest terms.
