The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has convicted and committed a 25-year-old man of Chalala area to the High Court for sentencing for defiling a seven-year-old grade one pupil.

In this matter, Jack Mukunta was charged with defilement of a child.

Particulars of the offence were on November 14, 2018, Mukunta had unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During trial, the seven-year-old victim told the Court that Mukunta allegedly threatened to slit her throat if she screamed or told anyone that he had defiled her.

She narrated that on the material day, she met Mukunta on her way back from school and he tricked her into taking his phone for charging.

The child told the Court that when they reached an unfinished building, Mukunta told her to bend over.

She narrated that Mukunta then undressed, knelt down behind her and also undressed her before inserting his manhood into her private parts.

The victim further said when he was done, he ran away, adding that she could not shout for help as he had threated to slit her throat.

“I could not shout for help or tell anyone because he said he would slit my throat! When he was done, he ran away,” she said.

The juvenile said later on, a woman who was suspicious of what had happened undressed her and discovered that she had been defiled.

She said the said woman alerted members of the public and Mukunta was later apprehended.

And when the matter came up before Magistrate Alice Walusiku, Wednesday, Boston Mwankuwa, a clerk of Court, informed the Court that records indicated that Mukunta was a second offender.

He added that records indicated that in 2014, Magistrate Mwaka Mikalile convicted Mukunta of defilement and unnatural offenses.

Mwankuwa further said Magistrate Mikalile later committed Mukunta to the High Court for sentencing where he was sentenced to 15 years.

Mukunta, however, denied ever being convicted and sentenced.

Magistrate Walusiku told the accused that he would make that explanation at the higher court.

She said she would commit the accused to the High Court because the mandatory maximum sentence for defilement was beyond her powers.

Magistrate Walusiku then subsequently committed the accused to the High Court for sentencing.