Mzimba District First Grade Magistrate Loness Gumbo has sentenced 41-year-old Bande Phiri to eight years imprisonment with hard labour for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter in Kanjuchi.
State Prosecutor Patrick Lungu stated that Phiri, who has two wives, committed the crime on the night of June 21, 2023 after he was caught red-handed by his son, who reported the incident to his mother, leading to Phiri’s arrest despite the convict threatening the wife with dissolution of marriage and battery.
During the court proceedings, Phiri pleaded not guilty but three witnesses testified and he was eventually found guilty and he asked for leniency, citing his role as the family’s breadwinner and that he had been involved in an accident.
However, Lungu argued for a severe punishment to deter potential offenders, saying the convict was fully aware of his actions and failed to protect a child.
Magistrate Gumbo agreed with the prosecutor’s stance and sentenced Phiri to eight years of imprisonment with hard labour for engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor.
Phiri is from Sitima village, Traditional Authority Khonsolo, in Mzimba District.
