A 48-YEAR-OLD man of Vubwi District in Eastern Province who defiled his nine-year-old step daughter and another minor has been committed to the High Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to charges of defilement.

Daison Mwale, a Malawian national, appeared before Magistrate Fred Munsaka where he readily admitted the charges, saying the devil made him do the unspeakable act.

Magistrate Munsaka heard that on February 8, 2022 around 16:00 hours, two minors aged between six and eight years old were playing outside the house of the accused person and it was during that time that he found a chance to entice them into the act.

It is alleged that Mwale lured the children, one of whom is his step-daughter, with a chore of taking ducks inside his house where they roost.

Upon doing so and whilst inside the house, Mwale told one of the children to leave the house and instructed his step daughter to stay behind, close the door and follow him to his bedroom.

In the bedroom, the accused told the victim to undress and he defiled her.

After the act, Mwale threatened the child not to tell anyone, including her grandmother or she would be whipped.

After defiling the step daughter, Mwale then instructed the victim to dress up and call her friend inside.

When the second victim entered the house, he issued the 6-year-old with instructions as he did with his step-child but she declined.

Seeing that, Mwale forcibly undressed the minor and proceeded to have carnal knowledge of her after which he threatened her against disclosing to her mother or she would be whipped.

He also promised to buy her Jiggies.

The children later complained of pain when passing urine, a situation which made their mothers to report Mwale to the police.

Mwale freely admitted having committed the offence when he was apprehended by the police in a warn and caution statement administered to him in Chewa, the language he said he understood better.

Magistrate Munsaka convicted Mwale upon his own admission of guilt and committed the convict to the High Court for sentencing.