Police officer Andrew Chagaga was yesterday found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl at Limbe police Station.
The Limbe First Grade Magistrate’s Court convicted the police officer who raped the child in December last year.
Magistrate Soka Banda is expected to sentence the convict on 11 August this year.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission has since described the conviction as a “big win for the girl child and for Malawi.”
The child was represented in the case by women lawyers including Malawi Human Rights Commissioner Chikondi Chijozi.
Chagaga on 12 December, 2020 arrested the girl for idle and disorderly offence under section 180(d) of the Penal Code when she was on her way to a night of praise. The girl who is a student was together with two friends, a boy and a girl at the time of the arrest.
Police officers told the three that they would be released if they paid money and one of the girls managed to pay. The other two were taken into police custody.
Whilst in police custody, Chagaga took the girl away from everyone else right in the police building and raped her twice. Officer Chagaga later released her and her friend in the night.
The girl reported the incident the following day and Chagaga was subsequently arrested for rape. Trial started on 17th February, 2021 and the State paraded seven witnesses while Chagaga paraded one witness.
