A 20-year-old self-acclaimed prophet in Mulanje has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 15-year-old girl.
The prophet has been identified as Julius Phiri and he was handed the sentence on Friday.
Police prosecutor, Sergeant, Maggie Mogowa, told the court that the child had been praying with Phiri at his church since March this year.
At some point, Phiri asked the girl to stay with him so that he could teach her more about the Bible.
While there, the self-acclaimed prophet started sexually abusing the child until in April this year when she got pregnant.
This led to his arrest and he was charged with defilement in accordance to section 138 of the Penal Code.
Appearing before magistrate Shahida Haneef Bakili, Phiri pleaded not guilty prompting the state to parade six witnesses. Satisfied with the evidence, magistrate Bakili convicted him.
In submission, Sergeant Mogowa prayed for a stiff sentence, saying the convict had planned to commit the offence.
She added that Phiri was violating people’s rights in the name of being a prophet.
Although the convict asked for leniency but Magistrate Bakili sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour observing that this should be a lesson to others of his nature.
Phiri comes from Malota Village, Senior Chief Chikumbu in Mulanje.
