Kasungu First Grade Magistrate Court sitting at Kasungu has slapped village headman Gundani to serve a 12 months jail term for indecently assaulting a 8 years old girl.
Village headman Gundani whose full name is Edward Jackson, aged 78 committed the offence on December 13, 2019 at Gundani village at around 15:00 hours.
State prosecutor, Sub Inspector Thoko Juziwel told the court that Edward Jackson on the day in question found the girl busy playing outside his house with her friends. He persuaded the girl to enter into his house where he undressed her before undressing himself as well. He then started playing with his manhood on the girl’s private part and subsequently released sperms on her thigh.
As he was busy playing his manhood on the girl’s private part, suddenly a friend of the girl who was playing with her outside the accused house before caught him and shouted which prompted people to come .
In court he pleaded not guilty to the charge of indecent assault but the state paraded 3 witnesses who proved the case against him.
In mitigation, he cited his old age as a major factor for the court to consider and prayed for a lenient sentence.
However, Juziwel requested the court to give Edward Jackson a custodial sentence as this would be a warning to other would be offenders.
Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Damiano Banda said, for other would be offenders to learn a lesson he would grant the state its request of giving Jackson a custodial sentence. He then slapped him with a 12 months jail term.
Edward Jackson comes from Gundani village, traditional authority Kaomba in Kasungu.
