Ntcheu First Grade Magistrate court has sentenced a 60-year-old Seventh Day Adventist church elder to 114 months in prison for defiling his 9-year-old niece.
The convict has been identified as Yonasi Kadam’manja who committed the offence on 24 march this year.
The state prosecutor Sub Inspector Anne Kamwendo told the court that on the evening of the said day at around 2000hrs, the convict called the young girl to unoccupied house telling her that he had a message to pass her to deliver to her mother.
Inside there, Kadam’manja stripped the girl’s clothes off and defiled her. He gave the girl K500.00 telling her not to reveal to anyone. Before leaving the place, the convict heard a woman’s voice who he suspected it could be his wife so he escaped swiftly leaving his phone behind.
Upon reaching at the scene, Kadam’manja’s wife found her husband’s phone and informed the victim’s mother who also visited the scene where they also saw a piece of cloth that the convict used to clean himself with.
After the victim was quizzed, she revealed that this was the third time she had been defiled on a deal of K500.00.
The matter was reported to police and Kadam’manja was arrested afterwards.
In court, the police prosecutor asked the court to hand Kadam’manja a stiff punishment stating that the victim and her family have been imposed to trauma.
In mitigation, Kadam’manja pleaded with court for leniency stating that he is a bread winner of a big family.
Passing his judgment, His Worship Chrispine Sachuluka said a man aged as Kadam’manja is supposed to have senses and went on to slap him with a 144 months sentence
