A 19-year-old boy has been sentenced to eight years in prison for marrying a 14-year-old girl in Mulanje.
The boy has been identified as Patrick Pachache.
The two got married without the knowledge of the girl’s parents leading to the arrest of Pachache who was charged with defilement.
In court, Pachache pleaded not guilty and the state paraded three state witnesses leading to his conviction.
Yesterday, Mulanje Senior Resident Magistrate, Shaheeda Bakili, sentenced Pachache to eight years in jail.
Section 138 of the Malawi Penal Code says any person who has sex with a girl under the age of sixteen commits an offence of defilement which attracts a maximum of life in prison.
