KITWE High Court judge Chilombo Phiri has sentenced a man of
Chingola to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling and
impregnating a 13-year old girl.
Mrs Justice Phiri jailed Bright Tonga after upholding his conviction
by the subordinate court.
Zambia daily mail reports that delivering judgment, Mrs Justice Phiri urged men wishing to marry to
approach adults because there are many single women in Zambia wishing
to get married.
“It is unthinkable that you had intentions of marrying a child and I,
therefore, confirm the conviction” Mrs Justice Phiri said.
Tonga, on December 31 last year in Chingola, defiled an under-age of 13.
But Mrs Justice Phiri said she was satisfied with the judgment of the trial
magistrate.
She noted that the girl was well below the age of 16 and Tonga defiled her
on four occasions.
Mrs Justice Phiri said any reasonable tribunal could have arrived at the
same verdict.
Mrs Justice Phiri said the trial magistrate was on firm ground to convict
Tonga because the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable
doubt.
She sentenced Tonga to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour and
granted him leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Mrs Justice Phiri hoped that Tonga would use his time in prison to reflect
on his actions.
In mitigation, Tonga pleaded with the court to be lenient on him because
he is remorseful.
But Mrs Justice Phiri said although Tonga is a first offender, there were
aggravating circumstances in the case.
She said Tonga did not defile the girl on one occasion but four times and
ended up impregnating her.
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