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A 29-year-old woman from Lusaka’s Chipata Compound has been sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting a 14-year-old girl with a cooking stick, leaving the minor with multiple injuries.
Mary Phiri was convicted by Magistrate Amy Masoja, who noted Phiri’s lack of remorse and dismissive attitude during court proceedings.
“This court has considered that the convict is a first offender and has also noted the injuries sustained by the victim,” Magistrate Masoja said.
“However, I observe the convict’s casual demeanor and disregard for the gravity of the offence, despite enhanced laws meant to deter such actions.”
The assault occurred on November 21, 2024, when Phiri visited the victim’s home looking for a man identified as Bwalya, a cousin of the victim.
When the teenager said she didn’t know Bwalya’s whereabouts and suggested Phiri might know instead, Phiri became enraged.
She attacked the teenager with a cooking stick and pursued her into her home when she tried to escape, continuing the assault and allegedly pushing her into a drainage ditch.
The victim suffered injuries, including pain in her left hip, prompting her aunt to report the matter to Emmasdale Police.
Phiri admitted to hitting the teenager but denied pushing her into the drainage, claiming she had been provoked.
In her mitigation, she told the court, “I was influenced by the devil. What I did was wrong, and I ask for forgiveness. I have learned my lesson and will not repeat my actions.”
Magistrate Masoja was unmoved, emphasizing the seriousness of assaulting a minor and the need for strict penalties to discourage similar acts.
Phiri pleaded guilty and was convicted under Section 248(a) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia. She will serve five years of simple imprisonment, effective immediately.
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