Deputy headmaster convicted of rape

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Mchinji

The Mzuzu Chief Resident Magistrate on Monday convicted Albert Zunda a deputy headmaster of Chamalaza Primary School in Nkhatabay district of raping his standard 8 pupil.

crime (2)In his judgment, Chief Resident Magistrate Texas Masoamphambe said the prosecution side had managed to prove the deputy headmaster’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt as per law requirement.

In his summing up of the case, Masoamphambe who is well known for meting out stiffer sentences to rapists brushed aside the convict’s assertion that it was his fellow teacher who sexually assaulted the 14 year-old girl.

Masoamphambe wondered as to why the convict, having knowledge of the defiler and being a responsible deputy headteacher, failed to report the rape to Police.

According to the Magistrate, failure to report the rapist to Police and indeed failing to call the other teacher as his witness indicated that the claim was just an afterthought aimed at covering up the charge.

The case saw the state prosecutor Lyson Kachikondo parading eight witnesses who included a medical practitioner from Mzuzu Central Hospital who authored the medical report.

It is on record that the victim was among fellow standard 8 pupils who were self-boarders at the school. In December 2014 the convict called the girl to a nearby unoccupied house on the pretext that he wanted to give her marked exam papers but ended up sexually abusing her.

The victim later developed sores on her private parts and Police investigations led to the arrest of the convict.

The case returns to court on 8th June 2016 when the convict is expected to be sentenced.

The 48 year-old Albert Zunda comes from Chitungulu village Traditional Authority Katumbi in Rumphi district.