The Monkey Bay First Grade Magistrate’s Court yesterday sentenced a 43-year-old man, George Lucian Phiri, to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping his 15-year-old biological daughter and impregnating her twice within a period of a year.
Public Relations Officer for Monkey Bay Police Station Sergeant Alice Sichali has confirmed the conviction of George Lucian Phiri.
Sergeant Sichali told Malawi24 that court through state prosecutor Inspector Lyson Kachikondo heard that from the month of May 2022 the father was raping his daughter till she got pregnant.
She further said that convict took the child to Mangochi where they arborted the pregnacy.
Few months later after the abortion, the father continued to rape the child till she got pregnant again.
The convict asked his daughter to terminate the pregnancy again but the child refused and narrated the whole ordeal to her grandmother and mother who later reported the matter to Monkey Bay Police Station.
The state prosecutor further explained that the victim was issued with a medical referral form for examination and results confirmed that she is pregnant.
Appearing before court, Phiri pleaded guity to the charge of defilement contrary to Section 138(1) of the Penal Code.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded for leniency, saying he is the bread winner for his family and also a first offender.
However, in his submission state prosecutor Inspector Kachikondo pleaded for stiffer punishment, citing that offence is serious in nature and the victim will be traumatised for the rest of her life.
Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Mtunduwatha Mpasu concurred with the state’s submission and also added the that the offence was against the law of Malawi, culture and humanity such that raping and impregnating his own daughter is an abomination and also negatively affected the girl’s future.
The court then slapped the convict with 14 years imprisonment with hard labour but the sentence will be subjected to confirmation by the High Court.
George hails from Mwalembe Village in the area of Traditional Authority Nankumba in Mangochi District.
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