The Zomba Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 65-year-old man to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping two girls aged 13 and 15.
Zomba Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Sergeant Patrick Maseko has identified the convict as Thomas Fred.
Sub Inspector Peter Sosola, a prosecutor at Domasi Police Post, told the court that the girls aged 13 and 15 years respectively went to the house of Fred at Malosa where they wanted to cook nsima.
However, Fred demanded sex from the children before they could cook the food. He then raped the girls one after another in his bedroom.
After defiling them, he gave them maize flour for nsima which the victims cooked for themselves.
Sosola further informed the court that the victims did not immediately reveal the incident but after some days one of the girls informed her friend who then reported the matter to Youth Net and Counseling (Yoneco) where they were referred to Malosa Police Unit and Fred was arrested the same day.
Appearing before court, Fred denied the charges and this prompted the state to produced six witnesses and later the court found him guilty on all the charges.
In his submission, Sosola prayed for stiff punishment considering that the offence committed is serious in nature. He further said defilement cases are rampant in the district, hence the need to give offenders meaningful sentences that can give a lesson to others.
In mitigation, the convict asked for a lenient sentence, saying he is a first offender and old. He further said he is a bread winner for his family.
When passing sentence on May 18, 2021 Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Thomas hails from Malunga Village, Traditional Authority Malemia in Zomba district.
