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Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Blantyre has convicted and sentenced Damson Naminga 33, to twelve years imprisonment with hard labour punishment for defiling an eleven year old girl and impregnating her.
Senior Resident Magistrate Daniel of Blantre Central Magistrate Court heard that, for some time Naminga had been sleeping with the victim ( name withheld) and impregnating her.
Reports indicate that everytime Naminga slept with the victim, he was giving her some money so that she must not reveal to anyone.
During the month of June, 2020, Mrs Ida Stepheno, a mother to the victim started noticing some changes on the body of her daughter and suspected her to be pregnant.
She asked her daughter about whether she had slept with a man or not. Out of fear, the girl failed to disclose but after engaging some relatives and friends, the girl revealed to have been sleeping with the suspect.
The matter was reported to Police and the suspect was arrested.
The victim was referred to a healthy centre where medical personnel confirmed that indeed she had been defiled.
Appearing in court, Naminga pleaded not gilty to the case of defilement which is contrary to section 138(1) of the penal code.
The state therefore paraded wittinesses to the court who proved beyond reasonable doubt and the court found Naminga with a case to answer.
Naminga however, pleaded with the court for leniency as he claimed to be the first offender and that it was just out of works of the devil for him to commit such an offence.
But Inspector Grace Kanjiwa, a state prosecutor from Chileka Police station asked the court to consider a stiffer punishment to the accused sighting a number of factors that included seriousness of the offence as it is a felonious in nature, irresponsible conduct of the accused who is destroying the future of young people instead of protecting them and the trauma that the victim has suffered after it was known that she was defiled.
His worship Daniel concured with the state that the cases of such nature are rampant nowadays because of people like Naminga. He said the accused deserves a stiffer punishment so that others should get a lesson. Therefore, the court sentenced Naminga to 12 year Imprisonment with hard labour.
Damson Naminga hails from Kumponda Village, Traditional Authority Kapeni in Blantyre District.
