Area 25 women imprisoned for six years
The Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has slapped three women convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting a fellow woman in Area 25 C in Lilongwe with with 6 years jail terms.
Senior Resident Magistrate Shyreen Yona slappped the convicts with jail sentences on Thursday.
The convicts are 27 year-old Thokozani Msiska from Enukweni, Traditional Authority Mtwalo in Mzimba; Zelifa Phiri 27, from Setha village, Traditional Authority Zulu in Mchinji and 40 year-old Rodness Chisale feom Gonthi village, Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in Dedza.
They were arrested mid last month following a video clip that went viral on social media showing the women, among others, assaulting their fellow woman, identified as Anne Gawaza.
The video clip is alleged to have been shot at some brothel in Area 25C in the capital city.
They were consequently taken to court where they have been answering two counts of committing an act intended to cause grievous bodily harm and insulting the modesty of a woman contrary to Sections 235 and 137 of the Penal Code, respectively.
Initially, they were found guilty and convicted by the Nkukula Second Magistrate’s Court in Lumbadzi before transferring the case to Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court for sentencing.
‘’The seriousness of the offence, the circumstances in which the offence was committed as well the impact of the assault on life of the victim forced the court to provide a custodial sentence,” the Magistrate Yona said
Yona said the matter is also of public interest and it is coming at a time when the nation is fighting against gender-based violence.
She also said the court has proved that the convicts are capable of endangering the life of a person considering the manner in which the offence was committed.
“The convicts depicted the level of preparedness on how to execute the offence. The convicts had been assaulting the victim from 9am to 5 pm to the extent that the victim passed out. They also demanded money and went further to confiscate property of the victim,” she said
On the first count, Justice Yona sentenced the women to six years imprisonment with hard and the offence of insulting the modesty of a woman has earned them four months imprisonment with hard Labour.
The sentences will run concurrently.
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