The Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court sitting in Mangochi has sentenced a 28 year old man Rodrick Matiyasi to 19 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a girl aged 8.
The court, heard through state prosecutor Davie Banda, that Matiyasi is a relation to the girl’s father and he normally takes her at her house to the trading centre where he buys her drinks and confectioneries.
As usual on October 20, 2020 at around 1400hrs at Mgundaphiri village in Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi, Matiyasi took the girl but this time to an unknown destination where he defiled her before threatening her not to reveal to anyone or else she would be killed.
Thereafter, he dropped her outside her home and her mother was surprised to see her daughter’s back was dirty.
Upon been quizzed, the girl narrated the whole ordeal.
The matter was then reported to Mangochi Police Station where an arrest was executed after officials from Mangochi District Hospital confirmed defilement case.
Appearing before court Matiyasi pleaded not guilty to charges leveled against him whilst the state paraded three witnesses in which court found him guilty.
In submission the state prayed for stiff sentence, citing Matiyasi as any father has a duty to protect young ones but he chose to do vice versa.
Passing sentence Senior Resident Magistrate Joshua Nkhono concurred with the state and slapped him with 19 years imprisonment with hard labour to deter would be offenders.
Matiyasi hails from village Kalonga in Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi.
