By RABECCA CHIPANTA
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD girl of Kaloko Township has allegedly been defiled by a 78-year-old man.
Narrating the ordeal, the girl’s mother said that the suspect had called some children, among them, the victim to help him wash dishes before sending the other children to the market.
She said the suspect led the girl into his bedroom where he allegedly defiled her before the other children found him in the act upon their return after they heard cries from the house.
The mother said upon entering the bedroom, the children found the suspect in the act. When asked what he was doing to the girl, the man simply asked them to join in the act by playing with his manhood and promised to pay them.
A medical report seen by this reporter from Arthur Davison Children’s Hospital (ADH) revealed that the girl was defiled and she had been put on prophylaxis and antibiotics.
The girl’s mother alleged that the suspect’s family had approached her to settle the matter out of court by promising to buy her a house.
She appealed to the police and the courts to help her seek justice for her daughter.
Meanwhile, Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament Jonas Chanda has called for stiff punishment for defilers to serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.
Dr Chanda made the remarks in the wake of this latest case of defilement.
He said that the suspect was caught red-handed sexually abusing the minor by the girl’s family and was later apprehended by the Kaloko Neighbourhood Watch who took him to Masala Police Camp where he is currently detained pending appearance in court.
Dr Chanda said older men who sexually abused little girls must face the full wrath of the law and be jailed for life as a way of stopping the barbaric behaviour and protecting innocent girls in society.
He said the offence of sexually abusing a minor was a very serious one under the Penal Code and carried a minimun sentence of 15 years imprisonment and aximum sentence of life imprisonment.
“I have spoken to both the family and the Police. It is unthinkable what psychological trauma this girl will grow up with. And there’s also the danger of this man transmitting sexually transmitted diseases to the innocent girl,” he said.
Dr Chanda appealed to police, courts and interest groups like NGOCC, Women’s Lobby and the Church to make strong demands that the sexual defiler was caged for life as he was a great danger to all other small girls in society.
He has further commended the victim’s family for reporting the case without keeping silent and urged all other families to report such cases to the police urgently without fear or shame.
Dr Chanda also thanked the Neighbourhood Watch in Kaloko and the police for swiftly arresting the suspect.
Copperbelt police commissioner Charity Katanga said the suspect was currently in police custody pending court appearance.