A 52-year-old witchdoctor has been handed a two-year jail term for aiding another man to rape a child aged 13.
The First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe handed out the sentence on Tuesday.
The witchdoctor identified as Ackim Abraham committed the crime in June last year in Traditional Authority Kalolo in Lilongwe.
Namitete Police Post Prosecution Officer Sub Inspector Steve Galleta told the court that Abraham was hired for protect the house of the girl’s mother from witchcraft practices.
He went there with an assistant and they decided that one of the rituals to fortify the house was for the assistant to rape the child. The assistant is currently on the run, according to police.
After Abraham was found guilty, the state asked for a maximum sentence of three years.
But First Grade Magistrate Diana Mangwana sentenced the convict to two years in prison.
Lilongwe Police Station Deputy Public Relations Officer Sergeant Foster Benjamin has welcomed the sentence saying the case is a misdemeanor.
“It attracts a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment, so the Court has meted out the two year prison sentence.
“So, actually it speaks above 80 percent so as the State we are very much satisfied and we applaud the Court for giving out such sentence,” he said.
Abraham comes from Kamwendo Village in Phalombe District.
