The Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Ntcheu has sentenced a 32-year-old man, Afiki Rabson,21 years imprisonment for defiling and impregnating his 16-year-old sister in-law.
The court through Inspector Samie Liwonde, heard that the convict committed the offence between the months of March and July in 2020.
Liwonde further said that it was in March when the accused enticed the victim with two thousand kwacha in exchange for sexual intercourse.
It exactly happened as the accused person wanted.
The accused person continued to defile the victim up until July when she became pregnant.
It is said he warned her not to reveal him for fear of being ashamed in the area.
In court, the accused person pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement which contravenes section 138 (1) of the Penal Code.
But, the state paraded three witnesses to secure conviction.
In mitigation, the accused person begged for leniency saying he is a first offender.
And, in its submission, the state, asked the court to slap the accused with stiffer sentence.
Liwonde cited high prevalence of defilement cases in the district, let alone the country at large.
He also submitted that the victim is an orphan who has no known welfare support.
And, that the victim is now a standard 6 dropout, it is obvious that nursing the unborn child will just add more misery on the innocent young girl.
Having gone through the evidence presented in court, and all the mitigation and submissions, Senior Resident Magistrate Yohane Munthali, was convinced enough and quashed the mitigation factor.
He further lamented the high increase in defilement cases in the district saying it is denying victims of such violence, a brighter future.
Munthali, then went on to give the accused person 21 years imprisonment with hard labour to serve as a deterrent to other would be offenders.
Rabson, hails from Matale 2 village, Traditional Authority Phambala in the district.
