A court in Mangochi on Thursday sentenced a man aged 25 to six years in prison for raping a 14-year-old girl.
Mangochi police public relations officer Rodrick Maida identified the convict as James Gofati.
According to Maida, Gofati raped the girl on several occasions after giving her money
The girl’s elder brother was later informed about the sexual abuse and he reported the matter to police who arrested Gofati.
Appearing before court, Gofati pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against him which prompted the state to parade four witnesses who testified against the rapist.
After he was found guilty, the rapist asked the court for leniency saying he committed the crime out of ignorance.
However, the state prayed for stiff penalty saying child sexual abuse is rampant in the district.
Senior resident magistrate Joshua Nkhono then sentenced Gofati to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The convict hails from village Ntiule in Traditional authority Chimwala in Mangochi.
