By: Lloyd M’bwana
The Malawi court in the central district of Kasungu on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 sentenced a 19 year-old Dastan John to 12 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 14-year old girl.
Kasungu Police Station Public Relations Officer, Edwin Kaunda confirmed to The Maravi Post on Tuesday, evening the sentencing of John after being found guilty of defiling a minor.
According to the Publist Kaunda, the court heard that the convict committed the offense on August 10, 2015, around 16:00 hours at Chipolopolo village, Traditional Authority (TA) Chulu in the same district when the victim met the fate near Ntchenda river where she went to fetch firewood.
“In the course of fetching the firewood, Dastan approached the girl and proposed her for friendship which the victim didn’t accept a development which did not please the convict consequently forced the minor to lay down then defiled her.
“After the incident, the victim reported the matter to her mother which the issue was later reported to Chulu Police Unit where they were further referred the victim to Chulu Health Center where medical examination revealed showed that the girl was really defiled.
“On August 12, the police arrested Dastan and the following day he started appearing the Kasungu Magistrate Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement. Three witnesses were called to testify against Dastan and after full trial His worship Damiano Banda found him guilty on the charge of defilement.
“Although Dastan pleaded for court’s lenient on grounds that the convict was young and that he was not aware that what he had done could be an offense since he thought the girl was of his size, His worship Banda said girls in Malawi need protection from such misguided individual to give lessons to those might commit the same offense in future.”, explains Kaunda.
Dastan John hails from Sesani village, TA Malengachanzi in the central district of Nkhotakota.
