Withdrawn defilement case raises eyebrows
The 65-year-old granny sits on the veranda of her one-bedroom grass-thatched house in Blantyre, still waiting for her granddaughter’s justice five months after her defilement.
The orphaned 12-year-old was allegedly defiled three times in December last year by a man who infected her with HIV, the virus that causes Aids. The minor is now on anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
Granny claims to have been betrayed by the girl’s elder sister who allegedly withdrew a court case that charged the perpetrator.
All of this happened in Lipugama Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Lundu in Blantyre.
A police prosecutor, speaking on condition of anonymity yesterday, confirmed the case was withdrawn by the sister after the accused allegedly persuaded her on grounds of ill health.
The granny said the suspect, an agribusiness person based at Lirangwe Trading Centre in Blantyre, was surrendered to Lirangwe Police by youths who caught him red-handed defiling the girl.
The widower wants answers from government on how the matter before the Chilangoma First Grade Magistrate’s Court was discontinued.
“How can a defiler be left scot-free? I want government and other organisations that deal with children’s rights to help my granddaughter get redress because her future is doomed.
“I have no means of taking care of her condition. The girl needs proper support and diet which I cannot provide,” she said.
Section 138 (1) of the Penal Code says defilement is one of the most serious offences and attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Executive director of Tikondane Community Based Organisation (CBO) Harold Ndau and Area Development Committee (ADC) chairperson for Lundu, Dzinkambani Nkhoma, have since taken up the matter.
“After we heard of its discontinuance, we sought assistance from the Blantyre Social Welfare office to reopen it because we believe it is a criminal case that cannot be withdrawn arbitrarily by a court,” said Nkhoma.
He said all evidence was presented in court where the accused allegedly confessed having slept with the girl on three occasions.
Blantyre district assistant social welfare officer Chikumbutso Salifu confirmed receiving a complaint on the same, saying he had since taken up the matter.
Meanwhile, the girl’s health has deteriorated since her ordeal. The Standard Two pupil has sores all over her body and cannot ably attend school.
She claimed to have been defiled twice in the suspect’s cotton field and given K200 on both occasions.
The third time was in a classroom from where the perpetrator was apprehended after some youths heard strange noises as they passed by.
“The first and second time he grabbed my hand as I strolled passed his garden and laid me down. He told me not to tell anyone or else I would die, so I kept quiet, “she said.
The girl’s sister refused to speak to Nation on Sunday when contacted in Lirangwe last week.
