Chisenjere First Grade Magistrate Court at Chileka in Blantyre has convicted and sentenced a 19-year-old male student to four years imprisonment for defiling a 12-year-old mentally challenged girl.

The court heard through the state prosecutor, Inspector Ernest Mangwena, that the suspect defiled the girl child in the Kuntaja area.

Mangwena further told the court that some well-wishers caught the suspect red-handed while having sex with the child, and they handed him over to the Chileka police station, where the victim was referred to the Chileka Health Center for examination.

Hospital results confirmed that a defilement incident had occurred, making the state ask the court to impose custodial punishment on the young and first offender.

The convict pleaded guilty and asked for leniency, considering that he is a standard seven primary school learner.

In her sentence, First Grade Magistrate Kitty Nkhono agreed with the state on all presented facts and convicted the boy to four years imprisonment with hard labor.