A 65-year-old man in Mchinji identified as Dickson Issah has been sentenced 8 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 3-year-old girl.
The incident is said to have happened in the district on October, 4 2019 at Kafela village in the area of traditional authority Mkanda in Mchinji.
The first grade magistrate court heard through the state prosecutor, Sub Inspector Eugnesio Yotamu that on the said date while the parents of the victim were attending a funeral ceremony in the village, Dickson who stays close to the victim took advantage of their absence and defiled the 3 year old baby girl.
Yotamu further told the court that on their arrival, the parents were welcomed with this sad report, a thing that prompted them to lodge a complaint against the granny to police.
When the victim was referred for medical attention at Mkanda Health Centre, examinations conducted by the medical technicians confirmed that the baby had really been defiled.
Appearing before First Grade Magistrate Arthur Mtalimanja, the granny was found guilty of defilement which is contrary to section 138 (1) of the penal code.
Despite being the first offender, an elderly and a married person, Mtalimanja retaliated with these mitigations saying the offence committed was a serious one which may cause severe damage on the part of the victim.
Mtalimanja further told the court that perpetrators of such cases need stiff penalties so as to serve as a lesson and deter all would be offenders.
Magistrate Mtalimanja later slapped Dickson Issah with 8 years imprisonment with hard labour.
He comes from Chiwawula Village in Traditional Authority Kaluli in Mangochi.
