Area 24 women appeal against jail sentence: ‘Give us community service or fine’

The  three Area 24 women who were sentenced  by Lilongwe Magistrate Court to four years imprisonment for acts intended to cause grievous harm and insulting the modesty of a woman, have filed an appeal at the High Court  against their sentences, saying  it was excessive.

The three—Flora Chinguwo, Nora Chatsika and Gertrude Banda— ganged up on Bridget Kunchulesi (complainant) on October 20 this year, wounding her for allegedly having an affair with Chinguwo’s husband.

The case attracted public interest when a video clip showing the three women beating up the complainant and pulling off her braids went viral on social media.

They pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Paul Chiotcha on December 7 2017 to four years jail term.

Meanwhile, the convicts have lodged an appeal   asking the High Court to set aside the Magistrate Court’s sentence with a fine or community sentence.

According to court documents dated December 28 2017, all four women listed the same four grounds of appeal –  that being first offenders and having pleaded guilty, they were entitled to punishment by fine or community sentence,

They argue that Lilongwe Magistrate Court “erred in law” in giving them a jail term.

The four women said they pleaded guilty “at an earliest opportunity” and already embarked  on reformation process and “the fact that our prisons are not reformatory in nature” they need to be out.

The convicts also pointed out the torture that they went through in the hands of the police in Area 24 and Kawale.