The Karonga First Grade Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 23-year -old man to three years in prison for raping a mentally challenged girl.
The rapist, Afe Mwandemira, forced himself on the 15 year-old girl on July 21 in his village in Karonga district.
Police prosecutor Sub Inspector Kelvin Kamanga told the court that defiling a mentally challenged is a serious offence that attracts a maximum penalty of fourteen years imprisonment with hard labour.
Kamanga added that sexual abuse cases are on the increase in the district as well as across the country. He proceeded to say that girl child need to be protected by the community.
The prosecutor therefore pleaded with the court to punish the accused person in order to deter other would be offenders.
In mitigation, Mwandemira asked the court to allow him to go and approach the parents of the victim in order to apologise for the ordeal.
Delivering sentence on July 26, 2016, First Grade Magistrate Chakaka Nyirenda concurred with the state about the seriousness of the offence. Nyirenda said that the accused person need to be away from the society by giving him a custodial sentence. He therefore sentenced Mwandemira to stay three years in prison.
Mwandemira who was arrested on July 21 hails from Mwenipera village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwakaoko in Karonga district.
