26-year-old man jailed 40 years for defiling minor

A 26-year-old general worker of Kabanana Compound in Lusaka has been jailed 40 years for defiling his neighbour’s child .

Lusaka High Court Judge, Ann Malata- Ononuju, in delivering sentence said the convict, Charles Jilayi, took advantage of a five year old girl who he was supposed to protect.

Justice Ononuju said Injury and trauma inflicted upon the girl could not be ignored as she would probably leave with it for the rest of her life.

“That the convict knew the victim well as he was the neighbour’s child and that she therefore trusted him and that the age disparity requires this court to give stiffer sentence than that prayer for by counsel for the convict.

“I therefore sentence the convict Charles Jilayi to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour, with effect from August 19, 2022, the date of his arrest. Leave to appeal is granted,” she said.

Facts of the matter are that Jilayi in July, 2021, had unlawful canal knowledge with the victim.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the offence before Magistrate Ntandose Chabala.

When trial commenced, the victim was able to positively identify Jilayi, as the man who sexually abused her.

In her testimony, the girl told the Court that she was defiled in the convict’s house.

“He put his long stick from his body into here, into my private part, his long thing is black. Yes I know what a pen!s is.That’s what Charles put in my private part. On that day, I was wearing a trousers. Charles removed it. He is present in court,” she narrated.

She added, “It was so painful when he put his stick in me. My mother found both of us. I was putting on a trouser and Charles was wearing his shirt. My mother then held charles. My Grand mother then got me and checked my private part. My mother found us inside the house,”.

Jilayi in his defence said he was falsely accused of defilement by the victim’s mother because he only gave the girl popcorns which she had asked for.

He said he later entered his house, but behold the victims mother started shouting that he had defiled the minor.

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