A 42-year-old man in Dowa has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for attempting to rape another man in a police cell.
The convict had been identified as Tsoka Baloni.
On April 25 this year, the two were together in a cell at Dowa Police Station.
The victim was arrested for a case of theft. Baloni was remanded at Maula Prison in 2017 after being arrested for incest. On April 25, he was taken from Maula Prison so that he could appear before Mponela Magistrate Court for the case. He spent the night at Dowa Police Station where he attempted to rape a fellow suspect.
After he was re-arrested, Baloni appeared before First Grade Magistrate Amran Phiri where he admitted attempting to rape his fellow suspect, saying he had stayed long in custody without having sex.
State prosecutor, Sergeant Joseph Banda asked the court to pass a stiff punishment to the offender saying the offence committed is serious in nature and that the offender was answering another case of incest, signifying that he does not want to change his behaviour.
Magistrate Amran Phiri then sentenced Baloni to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour.
Baloni comes from Phaninga Village in the area of Traditional Authority Dzoole in Dowa District.
