The Mchinji Magistrate Court has delivered a controversial ruling by convincing 37-year-old Ernest Chimpeni of defilement despite the girl he slept with confidently presenting an authentic national ID declaring she was 19.
Courtroom tension ran high as it emerged that Chimpeni had already taken the first steps toward marriage, handing over K30,000 cash and a chicken as part of traditional bride price negotiations. Only for him to discovered the girl was already pregnant by another man.
The standoff escalated when Chimpeni demanded his money back. Instead of refunding him, the girl’s parents marched to the police — and he was promptly arrested.
In court, Chimpeni admitted the relationship, insisting he relied on the national ID issued to the girl in her own name. But the prosecution produced testimony from the girl, her mother, and her uncle confirming she was born in 2008
The most explosive revelation came from the girl herself, who admitted having a national ID that showed her born in 2006. She claimed that she had lied about her age when registering for an ID, hoping to qualify for voter eligibility ahead of the September 2025 elections.
It was not yet established whether she was driven to register by politicians in the district which could expose the syndicate of vote rigging by relying on ineligible children. Additionally, it is not yet known whether the man who impregnated her was also arrested for defilement.
In Malawi, the age of consent is 18.
Senior Resident Magistrate Godfrey Nyirenda delivered a blistering ruling which has shocked netizens, reminding the court that under Malawi’s 2023 Penal Code amendment, no belief — genuine or otherwise — can shield a man from defilement charges involving a girl under 18.
Chimpeni remains in custody and will learn his fate on Monday.
