12 years for rapist grandfather

A court in Balaka on Thursday sentenced a grandfather to 12 years in jail for raping his 12-year-old granddaughter.

The rapist is Eliya David of Kapuku village in the area of Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka.

The court heard that earlier this month, the convict raped his granddaughter at Kankawo Teachers Development Centre where he works as a watchman.

Police prosecutor Assistant Superintendent Lloyd Kachotsa told the court that David called the young girl to his workplace to give her money that she had requested to buy cosmetics though his wife had disapproved of the girl’s idea to buy the beautifying chemicals.

At the school, David sexually abused the girl.

The girl was spotted by her grandmother when she was exiting from the TDC building and the woman questioned her on the motives behind entering into the room.

The girl revealed all that had transpired inside the office block and consequently the grandmother reported the matter to police.

David pleaded guilty to the offence of defilement and asked the court to exercise leniency in passing judgement saying that he just got his new job at Kankawo TDC and the case would ruin his family.

But the state crushed his appeal for a lenient punishment through the police prosecutor who said that the act is alarming considering the efforts by both police and non-governmental organizations advocating against the evils of defilement and related sexual offences against young girls.

First grade magistrate Felix Mandala concurred with the state whilst adding that most older men are taking advantage of the vulnerability of young girls under their custody and that malpractice needs to be stopped hence the 12 years to deter would be offenders.