A 21-year-old man in Mangochi has been convicted by a Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court and sentenced to serve 18 years in prison with hard labour for allegedly defiling a minor whom he had taken into marriage.
Mangochi police station Public relations officer Inspector Rodrick Maida has confirmed this and identified the convict as Suman Dickson who was answering the offence of defilement of a girl under the age of 16 contravening section 138(1) of the penal code.
Court through state prosecutor Sub Inspector Skeva Munyapa heard that in June, 2020 Suman proposed a 13 year old girl and were living in one house as husband and wife.
The girl’s mother asked Suman to end the marriage but didn’t buy the idea.
“Then the mother reported the matter to village head man Makawa who instructed Suman to end the marriage but refused. Thereafter the mother reported the matter to Makokola Police Unit who opened a case of defilement against Suman,” explained Maida.
Appearing before court Suman pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against him and court found him guilty upon his own plea of guilty.
In mitigation Suman asked court for leniency saying he acted ignorantly but in submission the state prayed for stiff sentence citing child marriages are rampant in the district.
Passing sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Joshua Nkhono concurred with the state and slapped him with 18 years jail term as a deterrent to would be offenders.
Suman hails from Makawa village, traditional authority Mponda in Mangochi.
