The Mzimba First Grade Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced a 60 year old man, Lali Gausi, to six years imprisonment with hard labour after it found him guilty of defiling a nine year old girl.
Police prosecutor, Henry Mkweche, told the court that on 16th June this year, the accused found the little girl playing with her friends. Then he invited her to escort him to his house, whilst on the way, Gausi dragged the girl to a nearby bush where he defiled her.
The state witness further reported that after the ordeal, the accused gave the girl K15 to silence her. However, the girl reported the matter to her parents who later alerted the village headman of the area which led to the man’s arrest.
Gausi pleaded guilty to the charges before the court. However, the state witness asked the court to punish the accused with a harsher custodial sentence, saying his conduct had left the girl so traumatized that it will be difficult for her to recover.
In mitigation, the accused pleaded with the court to forgive him, saying he has obligation of taking care for his 10 children of which two are in secondary school.
Passing his verdict, First Grade Magistrate George Longwe laughed off gausi’s mitigation, saying if he knew of his family obligation, he could not have involved himself in such an offence.
Longwe said as a parent, his mandate was to protect the little girl and not to defile her.
“If you knew of your family obligation, you could not have committed such an offence. As an adult, your duty was to protect the girl and not to defile her.
“I therefore sentence the accused to six years imprisonment with hard labour,” Longwe said.
Lali Gausi hails from Alick Gausi Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mzikubora in Mzimba District.
