Ntchisi First Grade Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced 30-year-old man to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labor for defiling a 16-year-old girl.

State Prosecutor James Ngupasya Muyila identified the convict as Owen Banda.

The court heard through Muliya that Banda met the victim at a shop at Malomo trading center between January and February this year and proposed love to her, and the two have since been having unprotected sexual intercourse.

“The victim later realized that she was pregnant and told the convict who accepted responsibility of the pregnancy and told her that he will take care of her” Said Muyila.

He added that, the girl’s parents later realized that she was pregnant and took the matter to Malomo police unit who referred the girl to the hospital where examination confirmed that she was five months pregnant.

In court the convict pleaded guilty to the charges of rape.

In mitigation, the convict prayed for leniency saying, he has a wife, three children and two orphans he looks after.

State prayed for a stiffer penalty saying despite Banda being a first offender, such cases continue to take place in the district.

In passing the judgement, First Grade Magistrate Dorothy Kalua concurred with the state saying despite stiffer sentences given to convicts, defilement cases are still on the rise in the district and that, the future of the victim who sat for her primary school living certificate examinations had been compromised.

Owen Banda hails from Malomo village, Traditional Authority Chilooko in Ntchisi district.