First Grade Magistrate Court in Chikwawa has whipped a 23-year-old man to ten-year-jail sentence for sexually attacking his 13-year-old sister in-law.
Libikesi Gemu was found guilty on Monday in a case in which he blamed the devil for influencing his decision.
He defiled the girl on May 18, 2018 in a vegetable garden at Mphepo Village under Senior Chief Chapananga in the district.
The court, through Police Prosecutor Sergeant George Hussein, heard that the accused went to a garden where he was approached by the victim.
“While fetching vegetables, the girl was called by her in-law (the accused) who was tending the garden. Gemu immediately pounced on the girl, gagged her mouth, and defiled her before convincing her not to reveal the incident to anyone,” Prosecutor Hussein elaborated.
The girl could not disclose anything until the following day when she revealed the whole ordeal.
The police at Chapananga arrested Gemu and charged him with defilement. In his trial, he admitted the charge, claiming Satan had manifested in him to commit the act.
However, in his sentence, First Grade Magistrate Gladstone Chirundu quashed the claims, saying Satan or the devil should not be held responsible and blamed as he is not physically seen to counter the accusations.
The Magistrate went on convicting and sentencing Gemu to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
Mphepo hails from the area of Senior Chief Chapananga in the district.
Source:Mana
