State prosecutor Sub Inspector Elias Chitsulo, told the court that the girl who stays with her elder sister was left alone at home on November 7, 2021, as the sister went to see her mother who stays somewhere away.

He said coincidentally, Pius visited the girls house and when he found her alone, took advantage of the situation and defiled her.

“The accused threatened to kill the victim if she disclosed what happened, but after few days she started discharging strange fluids from her private parts, which made her to write a letter to her sister explaining what happened,” explained Sub Inspector Chitsulo.

He said the matter was reported to Monkey-bay police station where the victim was given a medical report of which after examination at the hospital it confirmed that she was indeed defiled.

In court, Pius pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement and state paraded four witnesses who proved that defilement occurred beyond reasonable doubt leading to his conviction.

In his submission, Sub Inspector Chitsulo asked for stiffer punishment, citing the increase in defilement cases in the district, while in his mitigation Pius asked for leniency saying he is the bread winner of his family.

Passing sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe, concurred with the state's and slapped him with 21 years in imprisonment with hard labor.

Phara Pius comes from Madzedze Village in the area of Traditional Authority Nankumba in the same district.