Girl (12) fingers grandfather as defiler

MULENGA MUSONDA writes A 12-YEAR-OLD girl identified her step grandfather as the person who repeatedly defiled her as they went to collect firewood before the grandmother came to her rescue. This is in a matter in which Raphael Chilala 49 a farmer of Choma’s R Rsettlement is facing one count of  defilement in the Choma Fast Track and User Friendly Court for Gender Based Violence.  It is alleged that Chilala on   May 7,  2020 in Choma unlawfully had carnal knowledge a girl below the age of 16 . When the matter came up for trial before Senior Resident Magistrate IdahMupemo, the accused was found with a case to answer after 4 witnesses who were lined up by Public Prosecutor Pearson Chilumbu gave their testimonies. The first witness who was the victim testified that,  the first sexual encounter with her step grandfather happened in the bush after he told her to go and collect firewood. She said Chilala followed her in the bush, grabbed and pushed her to the ground and  defiled her. 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 her 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 defiled 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. She went on to say at the time that he was being taken to the Police, he jumped out of the Vehicle and hurt his leg, and this was evidenced as Chilala could be seen limping when entering the Courtroom. After Chilala was found with a case to answer, he opted to remain silent and closed his defense despite the Court reminding him that he had the right to call witnesses or reasonably believed that the girl was above the age of 16 years when he had sex with her. The matter was adjourned to today 22nd May 2020 for judgement. Chilala was remanded in custody. The Sun