The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Mzuzu has sentenced Aaron Nyirenda aged 81, to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour for raping a 12 year old girl.
The court heard from state prosecutor Sargent Esnart Moyo said that the convict was married to a mother of the victim.
Brother of the victim on 6 April 2023 was not home and Nyirenda told the mother to go and search for him and after some time Nyirenda asked the grandmother of the victim to follow the mother. That’s when he had time to rape the little girl who was sleeping in the house of her grandmother.
When the grandmother left, something made her to go back home and she found that the door of her house was open, only to find the convict in his underwear.
Moyo further told the court that the mother after finding out that her child has been raped, she reported it to police leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Nyirenda pleaded not guilty of raping the child but the state prosecutor brought five witnesses who testified against him.
In mitigation, Nyirenda begged the court for mercy saying that he is old and he is also on ARV;s treatment so he should not be punished.
Chief Resident Magistrate Paul Chiotcha sentenced Nyirenda with 12 years imprisonment with hard labour.
Nyirenda come from Chipofya Village in the area of Traditional Authority Katumbi in Rumph district.
