Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe on Friday sentenced clinical officer Stain Kalipinde to six years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) for attempting to rape a patient.

Superintendent Patricio Philemon told the court that on December 15, 2017, the accused attempted to have carnal knowledge of a patient without her consent.

The state witness said on this day, the woman went to Mchinji District Hospital to seek medical attention forpain on her thigh.

Kalipinde, who was attending to the woman, asked her to take off her clothes and lie on the treatment bed.

According to Philemon, the clinical officer then started playing with private parts citing it was part of the diagnosis process. Later as he was about to rape her, the woman protested, and wondered if all what was happening was part of treatment.

The matter was reported to Mchinji Police Station where a case of attempted rape was opened in line with Section 134 of the Penal Code.

In submission, the state pleaded for a custodial sentence considering that Kalipinde breached the trust which patients have in clinical officers and that his conduct tarnished the image of the Ministry of Health.

In mitigation, Kalipinde asked the court to be lenient with him considering that he is first offender and that he is the breadwinner for his family.

Pronouncing the sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Shyreen Chirwa concurred with the state that Kalipinde deserved a stiffer punishment.

She said such conducts and behaviour are shameful and uncalled for. Therefore, to deter other would-be offenders, she slapped the offender with six years imprisonment with hard labour.

Kalipinde hails from Chipho Village in Traditional Authority Nsabwe in Thyolo District.