The Mponela First Grade Magistrate court has sentenced a 45-year-old herbalist, Thom Binison, to 8 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a woman.
The court heard that the victim got married in 2010, but due to some domestic problems, her husband ended the marriage and sent her packing on 14 January, 2019.
This forced the victim to go and stay with her sister at Madisi trading centre in Dowa district where the woman was advised by her relatives to consult a herbalist to have her marriage restored.
On 17 January, 2019, the victim went to the house of the convict for his services where she was told to pay K1000 and come back to him at midnight for the charms.
When she went back, the herbalist took the woman to a nearby graveyard where he raped her after telling her that she would go mad if she resisted.
After noticing that there was no change of heart from her husband, the victim informed her relatives who later alerted police officers of Madisi police unit.
In court, Mponela police station prosecutor, Inspector Sammie Liwonde pleaded with the court to pass a stiff punishment to the herbalist saying what he did was inhuman and tarnishes the good image of herbalists in the country.
In mitigation, the convict who pleaded guilty to the charge prayed for leniency saying he has two wives and children to look after and he is the only breadwinner for the family.
He then sent the jam packed court into laughter when he blamed Satan for his evil act.
Passing judgement, Mponela First Grade Magistrate Yohane Nkhata sentenced the herbalist to 8 years imprisonment with hard labour to deter would be offenders.
According to section 133 of the penal code, the offence of rape attracts a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
The herbalist, Thom Binison hails from Makala village in the area of Traditional Authority Mlonyeni in Mchinji district.
