“I Did Not Know that Sleeping with My Sister-in-Law is a Crime” – Chikwawa Man Tells Court

Philip was found guilty after he denied the charge which is in contravention of Section 138 of the Penal code.

State Prosecutor, Sergeant George Hussein, disclosed in court that Phillip had, from January to April, been defiling the girl in his house at Harrison Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kasisi in the district.

“The accused used to stay with the victim as a sister-in law and later grew fond of defiling her, under the pretence of marrying her in future as a second wife.

” He used to entice her with presents as a means to seal her mouth,” explained Hussein.

Things came to light in April when the convict’s dirty games got exposed and led to his subsequent arrest.

In court, he denied any wrongdoing prompting the state to press three witnesses against him.

Prosecutor Hussein asked the court to mete out a harsh sentence, taking into account risks that the victim had undergone.

In his mitigation, Philip pleaded for leniency arguing, by sexually assaulting his sister-in law, he didn’t know he was committing a crime.

First Grade Magistrate Gladstone Chirundu, however, quashed the accused’s mitigation, and further bemoaned the rise in defilement cases in the district.

Magistrate Chirundu immediately slapped the accused with 6 years imprisonment with hard labour to deter other would-be offenders