The Liwonde First Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced a 61 year old man to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping his 13 year old stepdaughter.
Attributing the development was Machinga police public relations officer Constable Davie Sulumba who identified the convict as Aaron Tickey.
Constable Sulumba said Machinga Police Station Prosecution Officer Peter Piringu told the court that the rapist married the victim’s Mother in 2015, and were staying together as a family.
Earlier this year, the girl started staying with her biological father who noted that his daughter had difficulties in walking and was producing bad smells.
Upon being questioned, the victim revealed that her Stepfather used to rape her and he was threatening her not to reveal his malpractices to anyone.
The matter was reported to Machinga Police Station and the suspect was arrested on 2nd February, 2019.
He pleaded not guilty before court a development which forced the prosecutor to parade four witnesses who proved the matter beyond reasonable doubt.
Tickey was finally found guilty and asked the court to be lenient when passing judgment saying that he is a breadwinner and a first time offender.
In his submission, Prosecutor Piringu said that such cases are common in the area though stiffer punishments are imposed to the offenders and that he traumatised the victim therefore asked the court to impose a meaningful punishment to the convict.
His Worship First Grade Magistrate Jones Masula then sentenced the rapist to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Aaron Tickey comes from M’dele village in the area of Traditional Authority Nkula in Machinga District.
