Pakistani national jailed 16 years for raping a teenage Malawian girl

Feb 10, 2017 National 90
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A court in Zomba has sentenced a Pakistani national to 16 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 15 year-old Malawian girl.

The convict Zeeshan Jaral Raja, 33, repeatedly raped the girl between 13th and 19th of August, 2016 at Liwonde Township in Machinga.

The court heard from state prosecutor Josophine Chigawa that the rapist was a businessman and owned a shop at Liwonde Township.

On 13th August, 2016 he was approached by the victim who wanted to sell him a camera so that she could add the proceeds to her transport money as she was on her way to Zomba to see her grandparents.

After hearing the victim’s story, the convict convinced her not to sell the camera saying he will employ her as a housemaid and after some days he would give her the money to proceed with her journey.

The deal materialized but later things changed as the convict started raping the garland she could not escape as she was always locked inside the house.

“News came to light after the victim was spotted inside the house of the convict which is semidetached to the shop and this made her mother to go in search of the girl at the convict’s shop,” Chigawa told the court.

When the mother asked the convict of her daughter’s whereabouts, he denied keeping her a development that made the woman to report the matter to Liwonde Police.

Officers searched the convict’s house and they found the girl hidden in a deep freezer which was not connected to electricity.

The victim was referred to Machinga District Hospital for medical examination where it was proved that she was really raped.

The convict was then charged with two counts of defilement which is contrary to section 138 (1) of the penal code and child trafficking which is contrary to section 79 (1) of Child Care, Protection and Justice Act.

Appearing before the Zomba Chief Resident Magistrate court, the convict Zeeshan Jaral Raja pleaded not guilty to both counts a development that made the Police to parade seven witnesses including the victim.

Following the evidence tendered by the state which proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, the convict was found guilty and consequently convicted on both counts.

In her submission before sentencing, state prosecutor Chigawa asked the court to consider giving the convict a stiffer sentence.

She said girls are going through different kinds of torture; and it is the duty of the courts to protect the girl child by passing meaningful sentences. Chigawa added that in this case, the victim was physically, psychologically, and emotionally affected which could lead to trauma that could affect the victim’s future.

ArrestedBut the convict through his lawyer asked for suspended sentence saying that he is still a young and industrious man who needs time to reform and re-integrate into the society. He also asked the court to consider the behaviour of the girl who has a history of running away from her parents and staying with boys.

Passing sentence on Tuesday, Chief Resident Magistrate Agnes Patemba concurred with the state that the convict deserved a stiffer sentence. She said it’s true that the courts have the duty to protect the girl child from sexual abuse by imposing sentences that are within the law and that will also satisfy the public.

The magistrate added that court sentences are guided among other things by personal circumstances of the offender, circumstances of the victim, severity of the crime, and the interest of the society at large as well as the prevailing sentencing trends.

Then regarding the evaluation done, Chief Resident Magistrate Agnes Patemba sentenced Zeeshan Jaral Raja to 16 years imprisonment with hard labour for defilement and 9 years for child trafficking saying the sentences are to run concurrently.

She said the convict is 33, and he will come back from prison while 49 years-old hopefully as a better man and will still make some contribution to the society.

Zeeshan Jaral Raja comes from Pakistan but was residing at Liwonde Township in Machinga district where he had a retail shop.

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90 Comments

  1. Apa amayi komaso mwanayo aluza……anakangogwilizana awapatse 3 million kut nkhan isapite Ku court…iwo ndikuyamba biznez….kapena kumulipira mwanayo xul…….sangatengele chitsazo nkhan ya MP wakumachinga ananyenga mwana ija……..makolo ake anadya bwino……..

  7. Amwenye alipo ambili mmalawi muno koma mundende za mdziko muno mulibe amwenye kodi amwenye samalakwa? Ameneyo atuluka mwa chinsinsi nzeru yabwino ndi kupha basi sikwao kuno amenewa

  12. kodi anthu aku pakistan amatani kuno, no wonder malawi always accormodates useless people, like zitsilu zina za ku mosambique zangodzadzana kuno kumatithela mankhwala mu zipatala, ndizaima nawo pachisankho cha president ndizathangisa ma foregner onse opanda ntchito muno

  13. Hei,,understand!!This One Is Pakistani,his Father Is Mr National Kkkkk,not Means That He Is From Pakistani ,he Is Amalawindani & raping Agirl From Malawi

  14. Hei,,understand!!This One Is Pakistani,his Father Is Mr National Kkkkk,not Means That He Is From Pakistani ,he Is Amalawindani & raping Agirl From Malawi

  18. kkkkkkk musandisekese!!!! pofika mwezi wamawa muva amutulusa ati akuonesa chisazo chabwino kwa azake koma ndili ngti ine Malawi zanu muva anachepesa ofinika ake ena atengelepo phuziro

  20. kuchoka kwawoko ndikubwera kuno kuzamata asikana athu ndi chimuna chake cha Edzi cho! ameneyi chilango chachepa anayenera kuphedwa baasi!!kkkkkkk.

  27. Now girls are so greedy ithink she was his boy friend maybe he ddnt do what she was expected then she change mahule akutinzunzitsa azibambofe

  30. Hey the Taliban in acooler so he is in a lawlessness country like theirs surrender him @ Dzaleka hosh its closed , let him feel the old Matchaya Prison they shud not take us for granted bg up Courts

  35. Rape is not about dress code or religion or age it is about the rapist having opportunity and forcing control over that person,

    Was it not control by forcing this girl to hide in a freezer, he took the opportunity that this girl required assistance for travel money,

    He is a pig and all pigs should be in jail,

  50. Asiyeni anthu aphane mmatsiku omalizawa osat kumangomangana nd zopanda pakezi. mukufuna kut Dziko lizizatha ena ali ku Ndende???

  51. but Malawian being prison man for so long is much better cz government is not helping there pple many people are suffering in rural even in albun area’s but nothing thy do thats y this disease is common in Malawi

  52. hahahaha y most people like to rape while everywhere there is prostute kkkkkkk sorry cz he deserve to be like that but if he infect the teenage girl with hiv what will government do to her??

  53. penapakeso osamangoti raping kodi olo inu mwalemba nkhani imeneyi muganiza ngat mukuti mwana wa 15 years mukunenanayo sangakumizeni ndi mabatile anu osewo? komaso uyu mukuti mwanayo mkuthekaso palibe chimene anavapo anazolowera zikuluzikulu zachimalawi nanga awa akhungu loyera angakhale ndizotani? ameneyo mukuti wa 15 mupezaso kuti ndiamene ali ndimatenda

    1. And the writer did not say that the girl who was raped was Christian and did not dress well!!!!in fact dressing code is not an excuse

  58. Kodi amwenye amamangidwanso? keep it up Malawi anthu amenewa akupanga zonunkha mdziko mwathu kuzemba kukhomanso nsonkho amenewa

  59. Muslim women its hard for the to get raped,honestly speakin,Christians you people u don’t dress well and it’s easy for men to rape christian women,

    3. Wooow you sound clinically stupid. Rape is NEVER the victims fault. And she was 15, her dressing or religious beliefs had nothing to do with her getting raped.

    5. dressing is not the first reason people thy rape not its just the behaviour of crazy pple in our country ask urself y raping is common in Malawi????? think deeply my man u will know what is going on

    7. You are stupid my friend. Period. And I won’t waste more of my time on such a fool. Your parents should be ashamed of giving birth to such a useless child.

    8. Taking statistic out of your ass doesn’t make you smart either. Where the hell did you read that, in your holy book? Dumb ass.

    13. #cosby you have commented like a thousand time because ur not getting enough with 1 comment cause ur that brain less empty life human being,its not only kids are raped but also fully grown women,go educate ur self AMD come back to the reply

    15. My friend this is not Pakistan or any moslem world where you pretend. These people are like this, their religion condons rape. Day in day out Pakistan India rapr rape rape. Munangokhala osusuka ngati amene anakuphunzitsani chipembezo chanucho

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