Man sentenced 18 years IHL for grievous harm

The Senior Resident Magistrate court in Lilongwe has on April 30, 2021, sentenced Mussa Lifa (36) to 18 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) for the offence of acts intended to cause grievous harm.

The Court heard through Police prosecutor, Cecelia Zangazanga, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), that in November 2020, Lifa used a razorblade forcefully removed a Norplant contraceptive from the arm of his wife.

Zangazanga submitted that the accused person was married to the victim (name withheld)for five years and were blessed with a baby boy.However, the husband wanted to have a second child, something that the wife refused, citing financial hiccups that their family was experiencing.

In the process, that argument did not go well with Lifa who resorted to such an inhumane solution. The matter was reported to Police who promptly arrested the culprit while the victim stayed for weeks in hospital.

Lifa pleaded not guilty to the offence. However, the state adduced overwhelming evidence which included parading five witnesses in Court, to pin him down.

Zangazanga also asked for a stiffer sentence arguing that there are many women out there who are victims of Gender Based Violence (GBV) but are suffering in silence.

Passing judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate, Florence Msekandiana concurred with the state that cases of GBV have no place in modern society. She therefore, slapped the accused person to 18 years IHL.