Traditional healer jailed 8 years

A traditional healer in Balaka will spend the next eight years in prison after being convicted of defiling his 14-year-old stepdaughter and causing her to become pregnant.

Maximos Luka repeatedly abused the girl between November last year and January this year at their home, the court heard.

Police prosecutor Rodrick Kamuona told the court that Luka threatened to harm the girl if she disclosed the abuse.

The court also heard that Luka sometimes had sexual intercourse with the child while her younger sibling was present.

Luka pleaded guilty when he appeared before the court, prompting the prosecution to ask for a stiff sentence.

Kamuona argued that the abuse could have lasting physical and psychological effects on the victim.

Senior Resident Magistrate Augustine Mizaya sentenced Luka to eight years in prison, agreeing that the offence warranted a serious punishment.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Girl Guides Association (MAGGA) and Save the Children, which followed the case through the TiKuMA project, have welcomed the conviction and sentence.

However, the organizations said they would have preferred a longer prison term, considering the severity of the abuse suffered by the child.