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A 35-year-old man in Dowa has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling his 13-year-old niece.
According to a statement by the district’s Police publicist Gladson M’bumpha, Police prosecutor Inspector Christopher Daluni told Dowa First Grade Magistrate’s Court that the convict, Kaith Mafuta, committed the offence on the night of July 5 this year at Mayadi Location in Dowa District.
M’bumpha explains that the court further learnt that the convict committed the offence when his wife was at work at Dowa District Hospital where she was working on night shift. The convict went to the victim’s bedroom and told her that he wanted to sell some bags maize of which the victim denied.
Later, the convict sneaked again into the victim’s bedroom where he defiled her for three times and threatened to pull her out of the house.
He further says that the issue came to light the following day when the victim reported the matter to her aunt who is the convict’s wife.
The matter was later reported to police, who in turn issued a medical form report to the victim for examination and treatment at the hospital. Medical examination conducted revealed that the victim was indeed defiled.
Appearing before court on Monday, the convict pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement. This prompted the state to parade three witnesses who testified against the convict and he was convicted accordingly.
In his submission, police prosecutor Inspector Daluni asked the court to mete out a stiff sentence to the offender, saying the offence committed is serious in nature and that cases of defilement are rampant in the district.
Police prosecutor Inspector Daluni further told the court that the convict had a responsibility to take care of the victim as his father and not abusing her as he did.
Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Robert Botha concurred with the state’s submission hence sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour as a deterrent to others with similar deeds.
Kaith Mafuta comes from Moya Village in the area of Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa District.
