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A 35 year old Burundian national has been convicted and sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour for abducting and employing into his sexual business young girls of between the ages of 12 and 15.
The court sitting at Lilongwe magistrate court heard that on 8th September 2015 at Dzaleka Refugee Camp the Convict Bukulu John induced two girls who were under the age of 16 to leave their home for Lilongwe without the consent of their parents. The girls were then engaged into immoral business.
The state further informed the court that the convict who is Hutu by tribe (Burundian) and stays at Dzaleka Refugee Camp persuaded the girls and picked them to Lilongwe after cheating them that they would be offered a good job.
Contrary to this arrangement, the victims (names withheld) disclosed in court that when they reached Chinsapo in Lilongwe they were put and locked in a house. Surprisingly, they were shocked to see a set of two men coming with the convict at night and were forced to be sexually abused. This happened two times that night.
According to the evidence of their mothers, the issue concerning the missing of their daughters was lodged to police who instituted investigations.
The girls were later traced after being found stranded at Chinsapo upon escaping from the convict’s house.
This development prompted police in Dowa to open a case of abduction against the convict which is contrary to section 263 of the penal code and section 78 (1) of child care, protection and justice act. Passing judgment, Senior Resident Magistrate Shireen Yona stated that the evidence which was adduced by the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The state pleaded with the court for a stiffer penalty since cases of sexual abuses to vulnerable groups are becoming rampant. The state also prayed for deterrent punishment as the case was well planned which left the lives of the victims traumatized.
In mitigation the convict through his Defence lawyer pleaded for leniency since the convict is a married man, and a first offender who has stayed in Malawi for several years without any criminal record.
But in her sentence Her worship Shireen Yona concurred with the state saying as the world is fighting for better lives for young girls and children, the convict displayed an irresponsible character hence stiffer penalty was necessary to serve as a lesson to would-be offenders.
She sentenced the convict to five years custodial sentence.
