BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
A 19-YEAR-OLD man from Ngella has been sentenced to three years and six months for raping a primary school student last year at a village in Central Islands Province.
High Court judge Justice Maelyn Bird after considering all the circumstances and facts of the case imposed a jail sentence of three and half years.
“Whatever the circumstances in your case must be punished for what you did to the victim, the offence for which you are charged with is very serious and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” Justice Bird told the defendant.
“The punishment that the court shall impose on you will show to you the gravity of the offence and the public disapproval of your action,” she added.
“It serves warning to others when you are punished for this crime because these laws are enacted for the protection of women and girls from abusive men like yourself.”
However, considering the circumstances and taking into account the accused’s early guilty plea and his youthfulness, Justice Bird directed that one year and six months of the total sentence be suspended for two years on good behaviour.
The incident occurred on 6 December 2020 at a village in Ngella.
Police said the accused met the victim after church on Sunday on that date and asked the victim, if she could meet him that night.
The victim then told the accused to came by their house.
In the evening the accused came by and called the victim to the kitchen during which she was raped.
Daniel Kwalai of the Public Solicitor’s office represents the accused while Dalcy Oligari of the office of the Director Public Prosecutions appeared for the crown.
