Village Headman Mlondora, also known as Pitilosi Khote has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court at Chigodi Primary School in Lilongwe. This verdict comes in response to the heinous crime of raping a 13-year-old girl.
The sentencing unfolded on an open ground, a deliberate choice aimed at ensuring transparency and fostering continued scrutiny of the case.
Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda defended the severity of the punishment, emphasising that Khote, 40, as a mature individual, should have resisted such distasteful actions.
The magistrate further underscored the importance of this sentence as a deterrent to potential offenders.
Assistant Superintendent Richard Kandeya, the Prosecution Officer at Lilongwe Police Station said, “The assault occurred in the morning hours of June 27 last year when the young girl was sent by her parents to gather pumpkin leaves for the family’s meal.”
In his plea for justice, he requested a 21-year sentence, underscoring the gravity of the offense committed.
An interesting note in this legal saga is the support provided by World Vision Malawi, facilitating the mobility of the court from Lilongwe City to Tolela Village under the jurisdiction of the Traditional Authority Mazengera.
Reported by Romeo Umali.
