By Sopani Ng’ambi
A 30-year-old man, who was released from prison after serving two years of a nine-year sentence for raping a child, is going back to prison for raping another child.
The Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Mzimba has sentenced the rapist, Gladwel Ngwata, to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour for defilement.
Mzimba Police Station Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub inspector John Nyirongo, has confirmed the news to Malawi24.
According to Nyirongo, Ngwata was once sentenced to 9-years 2020 for a similar offence of defilement.
He was, however, released after serving two years in prison because his file did not go for confirmation to the High Court within the stipulated 12 months.
In court, on the fresh count, Ngwata pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the state to parade six witnesses who testified beyond reasonable doubt.
The state through prosecutor Sub Inspector Henry Mkweche told the court, presided over by Mathews Msiska, that on January 7, 2021 the victim went for morning classes together with her friend.
When they knocked off, they started picking mangoes in a certain maize field.
Ngwata came and started chasing the child until he dragged her into the nearby bush where he raped her.
The victim’s friend ran away upon seeing how Ngwata was chasing her friend.
The victim reported the matter to her mother who lodged the complaint at Mzimba Police Station and she was issued with medical report form for examination and medication at Mzimba District Hospital.
At the hospital, it was confirmed that the child had been sexually abused.
Having satisfied with the state’s evidence, the court found Ngwata guilty.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded mercy stating his family obligations.
The state prosecutor in submission told the court that the convict once committed a similar offence, the victim has been traumatized by his action and that defilement cases are rampant in the district, hence the convict be given meaningful sentence to deter others.
Giving sentence, magistrate Msiska concurred with the state’s submission that the convict is not a first offender and he slapped him with a 21-year custodial sentence.
Ngwata hails from Mtambalika Moyo Village, Traditional Authority M’mbelwa in Mzimba.
