By Michael Chiotcha
A woman aged 33 in Mangochi has been sentenced to five years in prison for aiding her husband to rape the woman’s 14-year-old daughter.
A Court in Mangochi yesterday handed the prison sentence to the woman identified as Yamikani Mbelengezi.
The court through state Prosecutor Inspector Amos Mwase heard that the woman is sterilized but has three children from her previous marriage and the victim being her first child.
The woman encouraged her husband to be sexually abusing the child so that the girl should get pregnant bear him a child.
Prosecutor Mwase added that, from the month of April to July, 2021, the stepfather who was also sentenced last week to 21-years for defilement had been sexually abusing the victim several times in the presence of the woman.
On July 8, 2021, the girl gathered courage and narrated the ordeal to Group Village Headman Ching’anda who reported the matter at Makanjira Police Post where she was issued with a medical report and the results from Makanjira Health Centre confirmed that the victim was sexually abused.
Appearing in court, the woman pleaded not guilty to the charge prompting the state to parade three witnesses who testified against her.
In mitigation after being found guilty, Mbelengezi asked for the court’s leniency, saying that her children will suffer if she is sent to jail because there’s no one to take care of them.
However, Prosecutor Mwase said the woman is irresponsible and failed to play her role, as a mother. Passing judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe slapped the woman with the 5-year jail term.
Michongwe also ordered Mangochi Social Welfare Office to take care of the children and their needs in the absence of the mother. Yamikani comes from Chilomoni village in the area of Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre.
