Machinga First Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour for abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl.
The court heard that the man Victor Time detained the girl in his house in Ntaja for three days and raped her in the process. 
Police Prosecutor, Sub Inspector Kalawa told the court sitting at Ntaja Trading Centre in the district that the rapist met the schoolgirl at Nsanama Trading centre where he enticed her to follow him to his house.
“Her mother alerted her friends that her daughter had not come back from the Trading centre where she was sent on errands,” he said.
They reported the matter to police and the girl was found in the house of Time three days later.
The rapist was arrested and taken to court by the police where he pleaded guilty to the offences of abduction and defilement.
Police prosecutor Kalawa asked the court to give the convict stiff punishment to deter would be offenders and added that the girl was traumatised.
In mitigation the convict asked for leniency saying his grandparents count on him for support.
Passing judgement, first grade magistrate Jones Masaula condemned Time’s behaviour and said the offence was serious. He then sentenced the rapist to six years in prison for abduction and 12 years for defilement.
