A 17-year-old girl has testified in the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that her step father repeatedly had sex with her and she now has two children with him.
The victim told the court that her step father gave her a K20 after defiling her for the first time and threatened to kill everyone in the house if she told anyone about the ordeal.
This is a matter in which Tobias Chilimbo, a 39-year-old general worker of Munyeta village in Chongwe, is charged with one count of defilement.
Particulars of the offence allege that between January 2, 2014 and January 9, 2017, Chilimbo had unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under the age of 16.
When the matter came up for trial before magistrate Ammie Masoja, Monday, the victim narrated to the court that in 2012, she asked Chilimbo for money to buy books as she wanted to go school, but the accused told her that if she wanted to go to school, she should do everything he wanted.
She said when everyone left the house, the accused called her to his bedroom where he defiled her.
The 17-year-old added that after defiling her, Chilimbo gave her a K20 and threatened to kill everyone in the house if she told anyone about the ordeal.
“When everyone left the house, I started sweeping. Chilimbo called me to his bedroom, he had a knife in his hands saying he will kill me. He undressed me and laid me on the bed. He just opened his zip, pulled out his manhood and inserted it in my private part. After he finished, he gave me a K20 and said if I tell anyone, he was going to kill everyone in the house,” she said.
The victim said from that point, Chilimbo made it a habit to have carnal knowledge of her whenever her mother was not home.
She disclosed that in 2016, she fell pregnant and when she told him about it, he asked her never to mention his name.
The juvenile further testified that when her child turned three months after giving birth, Chilimbo continued having sex with her as if she was his wife.
“He said if I don’t sleep with a man, the baby will not be strong,” she said.
The victim further testified that when her first child stopped breastfeeding at one year six months, she conceived again.
“When I told my father about it, he gave me panado and other concoctions to drink so that I can terminate the pregnancy but I never took the medication,” she said.
The 17-year-old told the court that Chilimbo was arrested after she revealed to her aunt that he was responsible for her pregnancy and was also the father of her son.
“While I was four months pregnant, my mum and I traveled to Lusaka to attend a funeral. But before returning to Chongwe after the funeral, I ran away from my parents and returned to Marapoddi where I was assured to be taken back to school. While at Marapoddi, my aunt asked who was responsible for my pregnancy,” she said.
“I told her that the accused was responsible for the pregnancy and was the father of my son. The matter was reported to police and he was arrested.”
The victim’s aunt also confirmed that her niece was defiled.
She disclosed that a medical report showed that the juvenile was infected with syphilis.
The matter continues on July 27 this year, for continued trial.