A Malawi Police officer has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping a 17-year-old girl at Limbe Police Station.
Chagaga raped the teenager on two occasions in December, 2020 after she was detained at the police station.
The police officer was convicted last year in July by the Limbe First Grade Magistrate’s Court but the case was committed to the High Court for sentencing as prosecutors feared that the lower court could not hand Chagaga a lengthy sentence.
The child was represented in the case by a lawyer from the Director of Public Prosecutions office and other lawyers including Malawi Human Rights Commissioner Chikondi Chijozi.
Chagaga on 12 December, 2020 arrested the girl for idle and disorderly offence under section 180(d) of the Penal Code when she was on her way to a night of prayer event. The girl was together with two friends, a boy and a girl at the time of the arrest.
Police officers told the three that they would be released if they paid money and one of the girls managed to pay. The other two were taken into police custody.
Whilst in police custody, Chagaga took the girl away from everyone else right in the police building and raped her twice. Officer Chagaga later released her and her friend in the night.
The girl reported the incident the following day and Chagaga was subsequently arrested for rape. Trial started on 17th February, 2021 and the State paraded seven witnesses while Chagaga paraded one witness. He was convicted in July last year.
