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By Godfrey Olukya 29-11-2012
Parents in Malawi have appreciated court for sentencing a 60 yr old man to seven years imprisonment with hard labor after being found guilty of defiling and impregnating his grand daughter.
‘That will serve as a lesson to other old men who have made it a habit of defiling under age girls,’ said Nicholas Phili a father of four
daughters.
He said that in the past few years many defilers in Malawi have gone unpunished. Man other parents also said that they are supporting courts for punishing defilers. Some however say that the punishments are mild.
A 60-year-old man comes from Chanthunya village, Sub Traditional Authority Chanthunya in Balaka region. was sentenced to seven years in imprisonment after the Balaka First Grade court magistrate, Damson Banda Court found him guilty of defiling and impregnating his 13-year-old grand-daughter.
The girl has reportedly given birth to a baby boy.
According to Balaka police spokesperson Joseph Sauka said, ‘Court found the suspect guilty. Court proved that the suspect (whose name has been withheld), aged 60 had been defiling his grand-daughter of 13 years since January this year and impregnated her.’
The girl was taken to hospital after falling sick. When it was discovered that she was pregnant the grandfather escaped. He only
returned when she gave birth.
Sauka said that the suspect pleaded guilty to the offence but prayed to court to forgive him because his conviction will make both the
victim and the child suffer because he is the bread winner and that he regrets what he did to his grand-daughter.
The state reportedly refused his request saying that defilement cases cases are becoming common in the country hence the need for the suspect to be given a stiff sentence so that it should be a lesson to him and other would-be offenders.
Magistrate Damson Banda concurred with the state that these cases are becoming common and sentenced the man to seven years imprisonment with hard labor.
END