A 36-year-old woman of Chongwe district has testified before the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that her daughter was initially afraid of telling her that her step father had defiled, and was responsible for her two children because he threatened to kill everyone in the house.

In this matter, Tobias Chilimbo, a 39-year-old man of Munyeta village in Chongwe, is charged with defilement.

Particulars of the offence are that between January 2, 2014 and January 9, 2017, Chilimbo, a general worker, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under the age of 16.

Previously, the victim testified that she had two children with her step father who repeatedly had carnal knowledge of her.

She narrated that after giving birth to her first child, her stepfather continued having sex with her as if she was his wife.

And when the matter came up for continued trial before Magistrate Ammie Masoja, the victim’s mother testified that in 2005, her first husband died and she remarried Chilimbo.

She added that during this period, she was living with Chilimbo and six children.

The woman further told the court that in 2016, her daughter, who was 14-years-old at the time, got pregnant.

She said her daughter informed her that the man responsible for her pregnancy was a man named Peter.

“After she told me Peter was responsible for the pregnancy, I went to see the head teacher at Itope Primary School so that we can look for him. The head teacher said there is nothing that can be done,” the woman narrated.

She testified that her daughter conceived again some time later, adding that when she queried her, the victim disclosed that Chilimbo was responsible for the pregnancy.

She said her daughter was initially afraid of telling her that her step father had defiled and was responsible for her second child, because he threatened to kill everyone in the house.

The woman said the matter was later reported to the police and her husband was arrested.

At this point, Magistrate Masoja asked how the victim’s behaviour was and how close she was with her, to which she said the relationship was okay but that in 2018, she started going home late.

Further asked why she never reported the matter to the police the first time her child got pregnant as the conception was a result of defilement, the woman said at that time, she was in a state of confusion and only reported the matter to the head teacher at the said school.

However, magistrate Masoja wondered what kind of a mother she was, and what she was trying to conceal.

Further asked if she informed other relatives about the incident, the woman said she only informed them in 2016.

In Cross examination, Chilimbo asked his wife if she had any reason to suspect that he would have sex with his stepdaughter, to which the woman replied in the negative.

At this point, public prosecutor Siphiwe Malundu applied that Chilimbo undergoes paternity test to ascertain the real father of the victim’s two children, in the interest of justice.

However, Chilimbo objected to the application but magistrate Masoja dismissed the objection so that the results can prove whether he was the father or not.

The matter has been adjourned to September 13, 2019.