Court jails man, 45, 9 years IHL for sexual assault on 7-year-old minor

Mangochi  First Grade Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 45 year – old man to nine years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a minor contrary to Section 138 (1) of the Penal Code.

The court heard that the incident happened in August, 2017 during day time at Sungo Fishing Beach in Chiphole Village in the area of Sub – Traditional Authority Lulanga in the district where the convict, Chiutsi Yeremia, was working for the minor’s grandfather.

Police prosecuting witness, Sergeant Maston Chitsonga told the court that Yeremia who was staying in his boss’s compound had carnal knowledge of the girl on several occasions but he threatened to kill her if she dared to reveal the ordeal.

“The matter came to light when the little girl’s sister noticed puss and blood oozing from the seven year – old’s private parts and this prompted the older sister to report the matter to their grandfather,” Chitsonga told the court.

“Upon tactful enquiry, the little girl disclosed what Yeremia had been doing to her all along and that he had threatened to kill her if she revealed,” the court heard.

Chitsonga added that the matter was further reported to Chiphole Police Unit and a medical report was sought at Makanjira Health Centre where the results proved that the seven – year – old girl was not only defiled but that she also had a sexually transmitted infection.

However, Yeremia pleaded not guilty and denied the charge.

Yeremia’s denial to wrong – doing prompted the court to parade four witnesses and upon testifying, the court proved beyond reasonable doubt that he had indeed committed the crime, hence the court found him guilty and a conviction followed.

In mitigation, Yeremia pleaded with the court to be lenient when passing sentence on the basis that he had been under ‘the influence of evil spirits’ when committing the crime.

However, Prosecutor Chitsonga appealed for a stiff penalty considering the physical and psychological trauma the girl had been exposed to and to protect female minors from ‘evil-minded men like Yeremia.’

Mangochi First Grade Magistrate, Ronald M’bwana, therefore, handed down a custodial sentence of nine years in prison to remove the criminal from the society to protect little girls from sexual assaults.

“The court has arrived at this decision on two reasons; the first one is to protect little ones from inhumane acts by people of the same thinking like the convict and secondly to send a warning to others harbouring similar intentions,” M’bwana charged.

Yeremia hails from Chimaliro Village in the area of Traditional Authority Dambe in Mchinji.

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