Man Gets 20 Year Jail Term For Chewing 5 Year-old Girl in Lilongwe

The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced a 43-year-old man to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl in Kawale Township.

The State Prosecutor, Aness Chimenya, identified the convict as Clifford Natiele, a former watchman at a furniture company where the victim lived. The offense occurred on March 30, 2025, when Natiele lured the child with fresh maize before defiling her at his workplace.

Chimenya told the court that after committing the act, Natiele released the girl to return to her mother, who later noticed signs of abuse and reported the matter to the police.

Natiele denied the charges during trial, but the State presented four witnesses to prove the case. In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Blacious Kondowe found Natiele guilty under Section 138 of Malawi’s Penal Code, stating that the offense was a severe violation of the child’s rights.

Clifford Natiele, who hails from Tambala Village in Traditional Authority Mazengera, will serve his 20-year sentence with hard labor.