Malawi herbalist jailed 10 years for sexual assault on client
A First Grade Magistrate Court in Malawi’s central region district of Nkhotakota has sentenced a 35 year old herbalist to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping his client.
State prosecutor Sergeant James Muyira told the court that that the convict, Kadya Harid Umandi from Lizindo II village, Traditional Authority Malengachanzi raped his customer on February 2, 2013 after lying to her that swollen leg was due to failure in menstruation as a result of a narrow path in her private parts hence the solution was to widen it.
Police arrested the convict on February 15, 2013 after the case was reported to Nkhotakota Police Station.
He was charged with an offence of rape which is contrary to section 133 of the penal code. He pleaded guilty.
The court also learnt that the convict took her to a private room leaving her sister in the waiting room where he raped three times after smearing her whole body including her private parts with a
grease concoction.
Nkhotakota police Publicist Kaitano Lubrino said the victim (name withheld) told Police that she suspects that the concoction paralyzed her failure to shout for help when Traditional Doctor worked on her.
In mitigation the convict asked for leniency saying he is married, is taking care of five orphans plus his own five children and his old father.
But in his judgment, First Grade Magistrate Fred Juma Chilowetsa Phiri noted that the state had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt adding that the convict needed a stiffer sentence that would act as a deterrent.
Phiri also said the convict’s behavior puts innocent people vulnerable to contracting HIV.
