By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
Lusaka High court judge Mwape Bowa has sentenced a 36 year old bricklayer to 50 years imprisonment with hard labour for sexually abusing three girls in 2020.
Winga of Chamba Valley was charged with one count of attempted defilement and three counts of defilement.
A named woman assisted Winga by taking the girls to his house and jokingly told him that the girls were his wives.
The incident happened on July 3, 2020.
Winga took advantage of the girls by defiling them one after the other but one of the girls managed to run away. The named woman has since been at large.
The victims are aged between nine and 13.
Winga was convicted in March this year and referred to the High Court for sentencing by magistrate Faides Hamaundu.
In sentencing him, judge Bowa said Winga was more than a pedophilia who deserves to be caged for a long time and set as an example to other persons like him to send a clear message that punishment would follow such criminal acts.
Judge Bowa said the young children he abused would remain scared of what he subjected them to, a fact that was the least of his consideration as he exacted his pre-planned acts on the girls.
“The convict exacted his pressure on the girls to devour without any mercy,the medical report for one of the girls showed a discharge which was indicative of a sexually transmitted disease (STI), which he considered to be an aggravating circumstance, warranting the enhancement of his jail term,” he said.
Judge Bowa sentenced Winga to 14 years for attempted defilement and 50 years on each count of defilement which will run concurrently, meaning the convict will serve 50 years
