A juvenile and her auntie have been slapped with a charge of malicious damage to property.

The duo was on Monday discharged of the offence of idle and disorderly conduct, in connection with how the auntie allegedly responded to a police officer over her niece’s ‘indecent dressing’.

The duo are alleged to have damaged two padlocks worth K70, property of Zambia Police.

This is the matter in which Mirriam Mwanza, 28 and her 16-year-old niece are jointly charged with the offence of malicious damage to property.

Particulars of the offence are that on December 22, last year, the duo jointly and whilst acting together willfully and unlawfully damaged two padlocks valued at K70, the property of Zambia Police Service.

And when the matter came up yesterday, magistrate Rachel Mwansa Statachi asked for the juvenile’s age before the duo could take plea.

The juvenile informed her that she was 16 years old and doing her grade nine.

Magistrate Statachi then explained that since she was jointly charged with an adult, she lost her incentives of being tried as a juvenile.

She further explained that a juvenile needed the presence of her guardians to prove that she was indeed a juvenile.

This was after the juvenile told the court that her guardians were not in court and that her father died on January 1, this year.

The court then adjourned the case to January 21 for plea and ordered that the juvenile’s guardians should come and confirm her age.

On Monday, the State discontinued the matter in which the duo were charged with idle and disorderly conduct allegedly in connection with how Mwanza responded to a police officer over her niece’s dressing.

This was the matter in which the duo were jointly charged with the offence of idle and disorderly persons.

It was alleged that on December 22, 2018, the juvenile in the company of her auntie, publicly conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace.

It was alleged that on the material day, the juvenile wore a short skirt and as she passed by Kamanga Police Station in the company of her auntie, an officer asked her why she was wearing mini skirt.

Her auntie challenged the officer for allowing another person who was dressed in a similar manner to pass through earlier, her reaction to the police’s question allegedly led to the apprehension of the two.

The State however discontinued the case after receiving instructions from the DPP chambers to have the matter discontinued.