The Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dedza has sentenced a 90-year-old grandfather, Lester Danken, to 21 years in prison for raping his two granddaughters aged 10 and 11.
According to Dedza Police Deputy Publicist Sergeant Cassim Manda, State prosecutor Sub Inspector Mercy Scott explained in court that Danken in September this year sexually forced himself on the first victim.
Scott explained that the victim’s mother who stays close to Danken’s house was surprised to see her daughter coming out of her grandfather’s house with her underwear in her hand.
The state prosecutor further told the court that when the victim was quizzed, she revealed that Danken had been raping her since last year and he was giving her K100 with promise that the sexual abuse will boost her breasts.
The prosecutor further told the court that Danken voluntarily told Police of the second victim.
Both victims were issued with medical report forms for examination at the hospital which later certified that they were defiled.
During trial, Danken admitted that he raped the two children.
Prosecutor Scott asked the court to give the convict a deterrent sentence to act as a warning to other would be offenders.
In his sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Clemence Chamwenda agreed with the state and observed that the convict was supposed to protect the victims being a grandparent, and that the victims are traumatised, hence a custodial sentence without looking at the age factor could fit him.
Magistrate Chamwenda went on to slap the grandfather with 21 years imprisonment without hard labour on each count. Both sentences to run concurrently.
Danken comes from Kufunda Village, Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza.
