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The Principal Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has sentenced an 80-year old grandfather to two-and-half-years in prison for defiling his 10-year old granddaughter.
Isaac Joseph was convicted on Friday on his own plea of guilty.
State Prosecutor, Sub Inspector Leonard Chabwera, explained in court that Joseph, on 18 January this year, at Mwatchipisa village under Traditional Authority Malili, sexually forced himself on the girl in a maize field.
At the time the victim’s mother was away in town.
According to Chabwera, the convict took advantage of the mother’s absence and dragged the child into the field and defiled her.
Then he gave her K 100, threatening he would bewitch her to death if she revealed about anything.
The victim, however, disclosed to her mother after she suffered pain, leading to the grandfather’s arrest.
During his trial, Joseph admitted to a defilement charge, saying he was very sorry for what he did.
The state, however, asked the court to mete out a custodial sentence, saying the accused had defiled the victim thrice since December last year.
In his sentence, Principal Resident Magistrate Viva Nyimba agreed with the state and observed that the accused was supposed to protect the victim being a grandparent; and that the victim has been left traumatized hence a custodial sentence without looking at the age factor.
Magistrate Nyimba went on to slap the grandfather with two-and-half-years imprisonment without hard labour due to old age.
Joseph comes from Kachule Village, Traditional Authority Masumbankhunda in Lilongwe District.
