The Midima Senior Resident Magistrate Court on Monday sentenced a 24-year-old man to 8 years imprisonment with hard labour for attempted defilement.

Limbe Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Widson Nhlane, told Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday that the incident happened in April this year when the convict, George Wilson tried to defile a three-year-old girl.

“The State Prosecutor, Inspector Christopher Daluni, told the court that on April 4 this year, the convict wanted to have unlawful carnal knowledge with a three-year old girl in BCA Township.

“On this material day, one of the victim’s neighbours was passing by an unfinished house and saw Wilson on top of the minor and after sensing danger he pulled up his pair of trousers and started running away,” said Nhlane.

Nhlane said the community members were mobilised and managed to arrest the convict who was residing in the same area.

“Later, the victim’s mother noticed some white substances on girl’s buttocks, legs and skirt which were believed to be sperms.

“The police issued her a medical form for medical examination and the results showed that she was not defiled hence the offence of attempted defilement which contravenes section 138(2) of the penal code.

He added that the convict denied the charge in court and this prompted the prosecutor to parade five witnesses who testified against him.

“In mitigation, he said he is suffering from high blood pressure and asked the magistrate to be lenient when passing judgement but the prosecutor asked for a stiffer sentence by saying such cases are rampant in the area.

“The presiding Senior Resident Magistrate, Hussein Ibrahim found him guilty and slapped him with an 8-year custodial sentence to deter others from committing similar offences,” explained Nhlane.

The 24-year-old convict comes from Chiswe Village in Traditional Authority Machinjiri, Blantyre.