Teenboy convicted for sexual assualt, gets suspended sentence for 3 years

The Machinga First Grade Magistrate’s Court has  convicted a 15-year-old boy [ name shielded] for defiling a 16-year-old girl and further ordered him  to pay K50 000 in fines.

Defilement attracts a maximum of life imprisonment with hard labour.

Machinga Police Prosecutor Constable Gift Kalamula told the court that since February this year father to the victim had been suspicious with the movements of his daughter.

Kalamula said the girl’s father then decided to start following her after hearing that she was dating the accused.

“On April 4, the father discovered that his daughter spent a night at the house of the accused,” he told the court.

Kalamula further said the girl’s father reported the matter to Nselema Police Station.

Immediately, the police referred the girl to Machinga District Hospital for examination and results confirmed that girl had sex with the boy.

“We arrested the young offender and a docket of defilement opened against him,” Kalamula told the court.

The boy pleaded not guilty and denied the charge which prompted the State to parade four witnesses whose evidence led to his conviction in line with section 138 (1) of the Penal Code.

In his determination, First Grade Magistrate Jones Masula said the court settled for a lenient punishment because the offender is of tender age.

Masula, therefore, ordered the convict to pay a K50 000 fine with a caution not to commit another case of the same nature in the next three years.

The convict hails from Mzinda Village in the area of Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi.

 

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