‘Randy’ Grandfather faces jail

MULENGA MUSONDA writes INSTEAD of becoming rich after sleeping with a minor as was told by the Witch Doctor, a 49 years old man will spend not less than 15 years behind bars for defiling his 12 years old step granddaughter. This was in a matter in which Raphael Chilala, 49, a farmer of Choma’s R R Settlement has been convicted by the Choma Fast Track and User Friendly Court for Gender Based Violence for defiling his granddaughter. When the matter came up for judgment on Friday, Senior Resident Magistrate Idah Mupemo found the accused person guilty and convicted him accordingly.  It was alleged that Chilala on 7 May, 2020 in Choma unlawfully had carnal knowledge of a girl below the age of 16. In convicting Chilala, the Court said the evidence of the witnesses was corroborated as the accused person never challenged it. “In conclusion I find that the prosecution has proved this case to the required standard and I hereby find the accused person guilty and convict him accordingly.” “I hereby commit this matter to the High Court for sentencing,” she ordered. Earlier the victim testified that, the first sexual encounter with her step grandfather happened in the bush after he asked her to go and collect firewood. The girls said she could not report the incident to her grandmother as the accused person threatened to beat her if she disclosed. On the second encounter, the victim who is also a Grade 5 pupil explained to the Court that the man molested her as they went to gather firewood with him and his daughter in the bush. “We went to collect firewood with him and his daughter, when we arrived he asked his daughter to go and collect money from a woman who had gotten charcoal from him.” “When she left, he put me on his laps, pushed my pant to the side and molested me but luckily my grandmother arrived and found us in the act,” she testified. She said when her grandmother confronted him, he started asking for forgiveness. The Sun