MUBANGA NONDO, Ndola
THE Kasama High court has slapped an 18-year jail sentence with hard labour on a 29-year-old man of Mwaka village in Tanzania for defiling a nine-year-old girl of Nakonde.
In this case, Kennedy Ibrahim was charged with defilement.
Ibrahim on November 13 last year in Nakonde, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16.
Delivering judgment recently, Ndola High Court judge Charles Chanda sitting in Kasama, said the girl children should be protected from such vices for them to enjoy their childhood without fear.
“I have perused the record of proceedings and the judgment of the court below. I wish to mention that children, especially girls must be protected by all persons even if they are not related to us and be allowed to enjoy their lives and dignity.”
“As a deterrent and in the hope that you will reform from such behaviour, I sentence you to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour with effect from November 16, 2013, the date on which you were arrested,” Mr Chanda said.
During trial, the girl, who is a grade one pupil, testified that on that evening, she escorted her brother to the toilet and Ibrahim called her but she refused to go to him.
She told the court that Ibrahim followed and dragged her from the toilet and took her to his bedroom where he defiled her.
The girl testified that she screamed for help but her mother could not hear her because Ibrahim had increased the volume on his stereo.
He then threatened to kill her if she dared tell anyone that he had defiled her.
In his defence, Ibrahim denied defiling the girl and told the court that he has never had sex in his life.
But when asked by the court why he did not cross-examine the witness, he said he did not challenge the girl’s evidence because it was his first time to appear in court and he felt intimidated.