Court Hands 17-Year Sentence to Man for Defiling Daughter in Dowa
Published on August 13, 2025 at 9:13 AM by Edgar Naitha
The First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Mkulula, Dowa, has sentenced a 39-year-old man to 17 years in prison for defiling his 16-year-old daughter.
According to Kanengo Police spokesperson in Lilongwe, Gresham Ngwira, the man—identified as Shadreck Nchazizimatha—was arrested on suspicion of committing the offense on December 24, 2023.
Prosecutor Patrick Mandanda informed the court that the incident was suspected to have occurred when the girl’s stepmother had gone to the market.
When he appeared in court, Nchazizimatha denied the charges, prompting the prosecution to call four witnesses to testify against him.
Although the accused pleaded for a more lenient sentence, the prosecution urged the court to impose a harsher punishment to serve as a deterrent to other fathers who might commit similar offenses.
Magistrate Mervis Sulumba agreed with the prosecution and handed down a 17-year custodial sentence, stating that others with similar intentions should learn from this case.
