Defilement cases overwhelm court

Ntchisi Magistrate’s Court handles a minimum of a defilement case daily, a development which overwhelm it, according to first grade magistrate Dorothy Kaluwa.

She said the court registers many cases of defilement compared to other cases, an indication that defilement is a big problem in the district.

“I have worked in bigger districts such as Lilongwe, where defilement cases were not as rampant as is the case in Ntchisi. This district seems to be leading in these cases, I don’t know why,” said Kaluwa.

She said her court has tried to impose stiff sentences to offenders but the trend remains the same.

Said Kaluwa: “I have been meting out nine to 12 or sometimes 13 years imprisonment sentences, but the rate of defilement cases at the court does not decrease.”

She said she is tempted to start imposing a maximum sentence of 14 years as a deterrent to would-be offenders in the district. She said as a district there was a need to do something urgently about it.

Ntchisi Police senior prosecutor Peter Njiragoma said it was also a concern to his office that defilement was rampant in the district.

He said there were a number of factors leading to increased defilement cases in Ntchisi.

“Apart from mere cruelty to young girls, there is also a widespread belief that one can become rich after sleeping with a minor. Another factor is drug and substance abuse by among most young men,” said Njiragoma.