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The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate's Court has sentenced a 43-year old man to 21 years in prison for defiling his 12 year old niece.
The convict, Emmanuel Amos Chimombo, was jailed on Wednesday before Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa.
The court heard through State Prosecutor Sub Inspector Damiano Nyasulu that the convict committed the offence on the night of 4 May 2021 in his house at Area 36.
At the time, the court heard, Chimombo's wife was away in Blantyre when Chimombo took advantage and sneaked into his niece's bedroom.
He forced himself into her, threatening to kill her if she dared shout or reveal anything.
The victim, however, was kicked out of the home and she narrated her ordeal to her mother in Ntcheu.
In his trial, Chimombo denied defiling the child, prompting the State to parade four witnesses to prove its case.
The State went on asking the court to execute a long prison sentence.
It argued further that Chimombo had not only broken the girl's virginity but also traumatised her.
In his mitigation, Chimombo prayed for leniency saying he had a huge family obligation.
But in his judgment, Chief Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa quashed the mitigation and instead bought into the State's plea.
Chirwa went further sending Chimombo to jail for 21 years to serve as a warning to would-be sex offenders.