Mother Jailed for Sanctioning Daughter’s Defilement

Mother Jailed for Sanctioning Daughter’s Defilement

A Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Mangochi on Thursday, convicted and sentenced a 33-year-old mother to 5 years imprisonment with hard labour for permitting her husband to defile their 14-year-old daughter.

State Prosecutor, Police Inspector Amos Mwase, told court that the woman, Yamikani Mbelengezi is sterilized, but has three children from her previous marriage, the victim being her first child.

Inspector Mwase said Mbelengezi connived with her husband to be sleeping with the victim who is his stepdaughter to bear him a child, but the victim rebuffed the stepfather's advances.

“From the month of April to July, 2021, the stepfather who was also sentenced last week to 21-years for defilement had been abusing the victim several times in the presence of the accused,” said Mwase.

He added: “In other occasions, the three were sleeping on the same bed and the accused was watching her husband molesting the victim until July 8, 2021, when the girl gathered courage and narrated the ordeal to Group Village Headman Ching'anda who reported the matter at Makanjira Police Post.”

Appearing in court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge prompting the state to parade three witnesses who testified against him.

In mitigation, Mbelengezi asked for the court's leniency, saying her children will suffer if sent to jail because there is no one to take care of them.

However, Prosecutor Mwase prayed for a stiffer punishment, saying the accused is irresponsible and failed to play her role as a mother.

Passing judgement, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe slapped her with a 5-year jail term to deter other would-be offenders.

Senior Magistrate Michongwe also ordered Mangochi Social Welfare Office to take care of the children and their needs in the absence of their mother.

Mbelengezi hails from Chilomoni village in the area of Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre.

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