Tag Archives: Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Featured, Human Rights

Femininity gap in criminal episode: Woman aiding a man to defile a girl under age

Maravi Post Author

By Owen Nyaka

SALIMA-(MaraviPost)-As one way of empowering women and girls, for so long advocacy on sexual abuse to children under age has been talk of the nation, yet the hidden incident of a woman in Salima district aiding a man to defile a girl under age is not only unique but very unfortunate, regrettable and retrogressive on Gender Based Violence (GBV) and inequality.

While law enforcers are taking vital role in curbing the barbaric act of sexual abuse, it has been established that Malawi Police Service has for years failed to trace and apprehend, Happy Paul – a man who committed serious offence of defiling a minor.

On November 8, 2018; which is about six years ago Happy Paul at Katambo village in the district of Salima defiled a then 13 year girl and run away, until to date is still at large.

Court records shows that First Grade Magistrate (FGM) sited in Salima district sentenced a then 22-year-old married woman, Elizabeth Paul to 15 months Imprison with Hard Labour (IHL) for assisting his brother to defile a minor.

Investigation shows that the woman aiding a man went to Nkhotakota prison and served her sentence while the offender, Happy Paul of Katambo village in Salima district run-away and that he has not been apprehended for committed an offence of House Holder permitting defilement of a girl under the age of sixteen years of age on her premises contrary to section 142 of the penal code.

Elizabeth being the owner and occupier of the house assisted his brother Happy Paul to have carnal knowledge on the then 13-year girl in her house.

The innocent girl was six months pregnant during the trial according to hospital tests and this meant that defilement started way back before November, 2018.

The first prosecution witness was the girl (the victim). She told the court that she is 14years old and dropped school in standard 4.

She told the court that the accused was her in-law. She married to her uncle.

She told the court that as she was coming from the bole hole, she called her to assist her to remove the tin of water from her head.

After that the cruel woman told her to greet her brother who was inside the house.

She stated that as she was greeting her brother the accused came out of the house.

She stated that it was the same time she was pulled and forced to have sex.

The witness stated that the accused after hearing leaving her in the house, she started cleaning plates.

She stated that she did not report that she was defiled to a child protection officer.

When the matter had reached the police she was referred to hospital for medical examination and after testing she was told that she was pregnant.

The brother of the accused who had defiled her later fled to Mulanje district.

Second witness was the mother of the victim and she told the court that the victim is her daughter and the girl dropped school in standard 4 because she is pregnant.

After she had known; she took the girl to hospital where she was found pregnant.

Third prosecution witness was Inspector Kabango; he told the court that on 5th February, 2019 he received a complaint from the parents of the victim that a girl of 14years old was on 8th November, 2018 defiled by Happy a brother to the accused person Elizabeth Paul.

The complaint was that the defilement took place in her house.

Having heard the complaint, the girl was sent to hospital and after the examination she was found pregnant and a medical report was submitted as court evidence number one, caution statement and formal charge were second and third evidence respectively.

After ruling, the accused choose to give evidence. She just admitted that her brother had come to her house. She admitted that she had called the girl to meet with her brother to have sex.

In the present case, it was provided that the girl was a child, she was 14years old during trial, and secondly the girl and the accused herself admitted that the girl was defiled by Happy Paulo a brother to the accused person.

The result of the defilement was that she got pregnant.

The accused person is involved because she took part for the defilement to take place.

She had allowed the defilement to take place in her house.

She was the one who had called her in the house with the intention that her brother should defile the girl.

An indicator was that after the girl had entered into the house the accused left the girl inside the house with her brother.

She knew what her brother wanted to do to the girl that was why she just comes out of the house and closed the door.

The court finds the accused guilty and she was convicted.

The witness said the accused is the first offender; however the court should consider that the girl is 14years old.

The pregnant that she has as young girl she will have problems in delivery.

The accused did not act as a woman. She does have a child at her back and how can she feel if someone can do exactly what she has done.

The state requested the court to impose a sentence that will teach her a lesson not to repeat.

In mitigation, the accused said her mother passed away and she looks for the children.

Her grandmother is sick and she is the one who is looking after her and that she begged bail.

Delivering the judgment, the then First Grade Magistrate Kantiki who retired now on medical grounds says the offence of a person who is the owner of a house permitting a man to defile a girl under the age of 16years old; its punishment is 5years Imprisonment.

The accused person is a young woman aged 22. She is married, she is a first offender.

All the days which she was on trial she was alone but today the accused has brought a child.

What she has done is to try to escape punishment so that the court should think of the child who is innocent to stay in prison. She wants to defect justice.

However, the offence is serious in the eyes of the law. Such offence was not supposed to be committed by the young mother like the accused since there is a relationship because her husband is the uncle of the victim.

She would have been the first person to provide protection to the girl.

The girl of 14years was innocent, she dropped school. She is pregnant only her poor mother will provide support to the girl.

The unborn child will be like an orphan because the father who impregnated the girl escaped to unknown place.

The accused person must receive punishment because of the seriousness of the offence and the way how it was committed.

Kantiki said the appropriate punishment for Elizabeth is imprisonment and the aim of the punishment is to teach her a lesson and she must know that she did a wrong thing, she has put the innocent girl in problems.

She will be a mother at her small age because of the accused person.

“Other women with similar minds, must also take a lesson. The accused was sentenced to 15months Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL),” said Kantiki.

Some villagers within the victim’s rural location, says when the incident happened; Zathu Pawailesi crew was in the area at the time of the offence and they reported the matter to Women’s Legal Resources Centre (Wolrec) upon noticing that there was total silence on the matter.

It is Wolrec that tipped the former Officer-in-Charge for Salima Police who followed the issue with keen interest.

The concerned villagers who opted to be unknown said the issue was discussed amongst the relation and the man who committed the offence was asked to pay which he did before run away.

Commenting on the issue, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Coalition of Child Rights said it is very unfortunate that since the year 2018 until to date Malawi Police Service has not apprehended the man who defiled the innocent girl yet the woman that aid the man served her custodial sentence.

“Law enforcement agencies should act with speed to capture the suspect. He is a danger to many more children in society. However, the similar incident happened in Karonga district.

“We tried our best from 2021 up to now but there is no information which lead to his arrest, so the general public should assist law enforcers with information that could clue to whereabouts of these criminals,” says Machemba.

Most defilement cases especially in girls under age are not exposed neither reported to relevant authorities.

Malawians should take a leaf of what Zathu Pawailesi and Wolrec staff did to alert the Police about the incident after noting that the innocent girl’s relations had shelved this matter.

Had it been that Zathu Pawailesi crew did not visit the area, this could have been one of the million unreported cases.

The gender gap in this article is that the man who committed the crime is still on the run while the female who assisted the man to defile the underage girl served her custodial sentence at neighboring Nkhotakota prison since Salima district has no prison

Human Rights

Youth Innovational Center for Change in two-day GBV campaign

Chisomo Phiri
Against Gender violence

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-In it’s quest to help the country in the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases that are on rise, a Lilongwe-based local organization under the banner Youth Innovational Center for Change (YICC) was from December 31, 2022 to January 1, 2023 held a two-day GBV campaign in Chinsapo area in Lilongwe.

In an interview, the organization’s Executive Director Bridget Chaponda said the campaign which targeted young pregnant mothers, children and the elderly was organized after the organization noticed the rise in cases of child abuse and gender based violence in Chinsapo area.

Chaponda said this was also aimed sensitizing these groups living in Chinsapo area on child abuse case as well as gender based violences and let them know where they can report them when they experience such cases.

“We did this because currently, we have noted that there are rising cases of child abuse and gender based violence in Chinsapo area and mostly people they do hide when the experience any kind of abuse.

“We have also noted the increase of child labour where children are being sent to sell the product at late hours like 7 upwards even during the day instead of sending them to school. This has affected the future of our youths as it s pus them at risk of dropping out from school,” said Chaponda.

YICC Project Coorditor Geoffrey Bwanali emphasized on the need for every child to be protected from all forms of abuses saying this can help creat a better generation which will be self-sustained.

” Let me call on fellow Malawians that if we are to create a better future generation of this country, lets protect our children from all forms of abuses. Not only children but also the elderly and the young pregnant mothers.

“If someone of these groups is experiencing any form of abuse, let’s report such cases to the relevant authorities for help,” said Bwanali.

Chinsapo Police Station officer sergeant Edward Alufayi commended YICC for the campaign saying it will open ears for many in the communities and help them have enough understanding of gender based violences and related cases.

He said,poolice as one of toos that help in ending GBV case in communities across the country, they will make sure that everyone has access to their offices and report such cases.

“Our office doors are open and we urge you all to come and report any forms of abuses you experience and we are ready to consider them and take an action, ” said Alufayi.

During the campaign period, the organization also donated assorted items to the elderly, children and yong pregnant mothers living in Chinsapo area.

Youth Innovational Center For Change is a youth and women-led organisation based in likuni in Lilongwe.

With its catchment in Chinsapo area, the organization’s main aim is to empower youth by transforming and developing their talent so as for them to be self-reliant.

Human Rights

Malawi media dared on effective GBV reporting

Maravi Post Reporter
Malawi’s GBV Program National Coordinator Joseph Kalelo

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi media has been challenged on effective Gender Based Violence (GBV) reporting in exposing the vice.

The call comes as Malawi continues culturing secrecy on sexual GBV which needs to tamed through effecting reporting.

Malawi’s GBV Program National Coordinator Joseph Kalelo observes that media has a crucial role to play in sensitizing people on the vice.

Kalelo told the media orientation on Thursday that GBV remains a challenge in Malawi hence media engagement is paramount ahead of this year’s days of activism that runs from November 25 to December 10.


“The purpose of the orientation was to inform the media about this year’s campaign that they report GBV issues effectively. We expect full dissemination and raising awareness on the vice,” says Kalelo.

Echoing on the same, NGO Gender Coordination Network Chairperson Linda Jim observes that since the campaign started the media has been sidelined hence the engagement .

Jim therefore urged the media to effectively report GBV in order to avoid the tendency of disseminating information disorder, misinformation, disinformation and myths-information on the vice.

Malawi Police Service’s Victim Support Unit Desk Officer Gift Likoswe reveled that the country is still grappling with Sexual GBV including defilement and rape.

Likoswe disclosed that general Sexual GBV has increased by 3.71% with 14.7% rise on defilement.

But he expressed gratitude that there is progress in ending GBV in Malawi.

Under the theme, “Orange Malawi: End Violence against Women and Girls, Act Now!”, this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) launch is slated for November 25, 2021 in Nkhata Bay district.

Lifestyle, Top News

Culture increases GBV cases in Machinga

Maravi Post Reporter

MACHINGA-(MaraviPost)-Culture of silence and lack of proper information are said to be the main drivers causing the increase of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases in Machinga.

Machinga police child protection coordinator, Sergeant Stephano Chiwaya said the district keeps on registering increased cases of GBV because communities have inadequate information on the same.

He said this is why some abused women and girls do not report cases of GBV to relevant institutions.

“Some deep rooted cultural practices prevent women and girls from reporting and naming perpetrators of GBV because they are relations,” Chiwaya said adding, “this is watering down our efforts to deal with the problem.”

He said the culture of silence where women respect their husbands much ought to be looked into seriously if the district is to make strides in this endeavour.

Chiwaya therefore said Machinga police in collaboration with stakeholders would continue with community awareness meetings in the district sensitizing communities about GBV related laws in Malawi.

District Gender and Development Officer for Machinga, Macmillan Magomero concurred with the police saying that archaic cultural practices were some of the challenges the district is grappling with to end GBV.

He said that, “We are sourcing funds to enable us conduct trainings for traditional leaders on the need to abandon some cultural practices that promote GBV. So we will work hand in hand with the police and community leaders to make sure that this malpractice is addressed.”

The district registered 94 cases in 2016 and 102 GBV cases in 2017 representing nine per cent increase.

Human Rights, Malawi, Top News

Britain injects MK18 billion to Malawi govt to fight GBV

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi has received a boost in addressing the increased cases of the Gender Based Violence (GBV) with financial assistance from the British government through the Department for International Development (DFID) with a maximum of £19 million (MK18,679,961,152).

Head of DFID in Malawi Jen Marshall said in a statement on Friday that the programme will support Malawian citizens and institutions in preventing GBV and improve access to justice for women and child survivors of violence.

Marshall said breaking the cycle of abuse was a crucial aim, saying the DFID will team up with a range of innovative grassroots organisations with the local knowledge and expertise to drive forward action to protect vulnerable women and girls and support victims.

DFID has since invited organisations to submit bids for the implementation of the new flagship six-year programme.

“Globally, gender-based violence is one of the most systematic and widespread human rights violations. In Malawi, despite a robust legislative and policy framework to promote gender equality and tackle gender based violence, prevalence rates of violence against women and children continue to be very high,” the statement reads in part.

The statement further says the UK consulted widely with Malawian stakeholders in all three regions of the country in the design of the programme and established that nearly one in three women has experienced physical violence and one in four has experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.

One in five girls and one in seven boys under the age of 18 have experienced sexual violence.
Said Marshall: “Through this programme, we will help individuals, government and non–governmental organisations prevent violence in the first place, and to better respond to violence when it occurs.

“This investment is DFID Malawi’s major contribution to the efforts of the Malawi Government and civil society to address gender based violence. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that more women and children are living a life free of violence.”

Last year Civil Society Organisations and human rights defenders in Malawi took to the streets of the capital Lilongwe to demonstrate against increasing cases of GBV.

The parade was led by the country’s Chairperson of Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Jessie Kabwira, who lashed at the GBV perpetrators, branding them cowards.

During the march, the activists were also joined by the country’s Resident Coordinator for the United Nations, Mia Seppo.