Mangochi first grade magistrate court on Tuesday sentenced a man aged 36 to 10 years imprisonment for raping a 3-year-old girl.
The man, Saizi Saladi, was found guilty of defilement which is under section 138 of the penal code.
Grace Mindozo, a prosecutor based at Mangochi Police Station, narrated that on the afternoon of February 17, 2018 the victim’s mother left her at home playing with her friends.
The woman went to sell tomatoes at Chikolomo market within Mangochi.
Saizi took advantage of the mother’s absence and told the victim to follow him to the shop in order to buy her some sweets.
Instead of going to the shop, he diverted to his house where he sexually abused the child.
On her return from the market, the mother was shocked to see her child walking with difficulties hence she checked on the kid and found semen and multiple bruises around the genital area.
Upon quizzing her, the victim disclosed that Saizi raped her.
The matter was reported to the village headman and he mobilised members of the community policing forum who apprehended the suspect and took him to the Police.
The victim was issued with a medical report and the results from Mangochi District hospital confirmed that she was indeed raped.
Appearing in court, Saladi pleaded not guilty and the state paraded four witnesses who testified against him.
In his submission before sentence, Mindozo pleaded with the court to impose a custodial sentence since such cases are on the increase in the district despite government and other stakeholders fighting for the protection of girls from various forms of abuse.
When passing judgement, his worship first grade magistrate Ronald M’bwana sentenced Saladi to a 10 year jail term in order to deter other would be offenders.
Saizi Saladi hails from Chiwaya village, Traditional Authority Chowe in Mangochi.
In a related development, 33-year-old Moses Wilfred from Mangochi will spend 10 years in jail for raping a girl aged 8.
Police prosecutor Maxwell Mwaluka told the Mangochi magistrate court that Wilfred raped the girl on February 10 this year when the child and her 9-year-old friend were coming from a disco that took place within their village of Kadango in Mangochi.
After the act, the victim rushed home in tears after she had refused a Kamba Puffs packet that the man had offered to silence her.
Appearing in court, the accused person pleaded not guilty and the state paraded five witnesses who testified against him.
The court then convicted him and sentenced him to 10 years in jail.
Moses Wilfred hails from Likala village in Traditional Authority Chimwala in Mangochi.
