7 years prison term for sexual assault on niece,13

The First Grade Magistrate court sitting in Karonga has sentenced 51-year-old man to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a niece.

The court handed a custodial sentence to Silva Nyondo for defiling a 13-year-old niece.

The public prosecutor, Sergeant Wilfred Khuniwa told the court that on December 31, 2019 at around 1200 hours at Mwahimba Village in the district, Nyondo sexually assaulted  his niece.

Nyondo pleaded not guilty to the charge leveled against him prompting the state to parade five witnesses to prove the allegation beyond reasonable doubt.

During hearing, a clinical officer who examined the victim, told the court that live semen were found during examination which is a clear indication that the girl in question had sex with a man.

Upon analysis of evidence given by all the five witnesses, the Court found Nyondo guilty.

In mitigation, Nyondo asked the court for leniency because he looks after his older mother and children.

Khuniwa submitted to the court that the offence which Nyondo committed is very serious and attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

 He further argued that it is worrisome that people who are relatives, guardians or fathers are perpetrating this crime.

First Grade Magistrate Julius Kalambo concurred with the state that defilement is common in Karonga district as well as across the country.

He further argued that girls seem to have no security as fellow youth and older persons look for them. Therefore, he stated that such perpetrators need to be given tough or maximum sentence.

However, Kalambo observed that Nyondo is an older person and giving him life imprisonment which is a maximum sentence will be like killing him. As a result he sentenced him to seven years imprisonment with hard labour.

Nyondo comes from Mwahimba village in the area of Tradition Authority Kyungu, in Karonga district.