Jail for hot-blooded teacher: 10 years IHL for sexual assault

A circuit magistrate court in Nkhotakota has convicted and sentenced a primary school teacher, Lawrence Matewere, 34, to ten years imprisonment for defiling and impregnating a 16 year-old girl.

According to Nkhotakota deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Paul Malimwe, between the months of August and December 2016, Matewere had unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl under the age of 18 at Kasangazi Primary school in the district.

The court held through the state Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Mc Rhino Lungu of Nkhotakota Police that Matewere convinced the girl to come to his house for studies since his only house was electrified.

In due course, Matewere started tempting the girl to have sexual intercourse with him. The girl became pregnant due to the lustful act and as of now the girl has a baby.

When Matewere knew that the girl was pregnant, she gave her K3, 000 to terminate the pregnancy. However, the girl narrated the matter to her parents who swiftly reported the matter to police.

When she was forced, the girl revealed that her teacher had been defiling her for five consecutive times at his house.

Lungu told the court that cases of defilement are serious offences that carry maximum penalty of life imprisonment with hard Labour.

“Looking at circumstances of this offence, the accused teacher deliberately seduced a standard eight pupil,” said Lungu.

Despite efforts by the government encouraging the girl child to continue with education, Matewere deliberately decided to impregnate the girl.

In mitigation, Matewere pleaded with the court to exercise lenience when passing the sentence, saying he had a family responsibility.

Passing the sentence, magistrate Fred Jumma Chilowetsa concurred with Lungu, saying offences of defilement are on the increase in the district as well as in the country.

Chilowetsa said Matewere, being a teacher, would have protected the girl but instead he was on the forefront traumatizing her, which would make several girls lose trust in their own teachers.

“In order to reduce this evil mind, I have decided to send Matewere to serve 10 years imprisonment as a warning signal to others who may wish to do the same evil doing,” said Chilowetsa.

Lawrence Matewere hails from Mbalame Village in the area of Senior Chief Mwambo in Zomba District.

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