Police officer convicted of defilement, child abduction

A police officer based in Limbe, Collins Mwambiwa has been convicted for raping and abducting a 17-year-old girl while she was seeking counseling from the officer.

The court heard that in May this year, the girl was taken to Limbe Victim Support Unit by her parents for counseling but the convict advised the parents to leave the girl with him saying counseling is a long process.

However, in the course of his duty, Mwambiwa defiled the girl. The matter was then reported to police leading to Mwambiwa’s arrest.  He pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and child abduction leveled against him. He has been convicted after full trial.

In mitigation Mwambiwa through his lawyer Humphreys Panyanja from the Legal Aid Bureau pleaded for a lenient sentence arguing that he is a first offender, he is relatively young, married with two children to take of as well as asthmatic.

However, the state through Regional Prosecution Inspector Superintendent Patricio Filimoni asked for a stiff penalty ranging from 12 to 15 years on the first count and five on the second count. He requested that the sentences should run concurrently to less than 21 years.

“Your worship, the first offence is very serious and it attracts a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment while the second offence of child abduction has a maximum sentence of 10 years.

The convict, being a police officer has bleached trust between the police and the community as well as tarnished the image of the whole Malawi Police Service,” he said adding that as a police officer Mwambiwa was supposed to provide protection to the child.

Senior Resident Magistrate Peter Kandulu then adjourned the case to Thursday at 11: 30 am for sentencing saying he needed time to consider whatever the two parties had presented.