By David Umar
The Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 32-year-old Edward Samkera,
a pastor for the Living Waters Church based at Chilipa in Mangochi to 7 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) for raping an 18-year-old girl who was under his custody.
Police Public Relations officer for Mangochi, Amina Tepani Daudi, told reporters that in February 2021, the convict and his wife asked the victim’s parents to allow her to be staying with them at their house a thing which the parents agreed.
Daudi said reports indicate that the pastor took advantage and started visiting the victim’s bedroom where he raped her several times during the day and night hours.
“On November 8, 2021, after being abused for so long, the girl gathered courage and narrated the ordeal to the prophet of the same church who reported the matter at Chilipa Police Unit where she was issued with a referral letter to the hospital. The results from Chilipa Health Centre confirmed that the victim was being raped.” Said Daudi.
Senior Resident Magistrate, Rodrick Michongwe passed the sentence to serve as a lesson to would-be offenders.
Samkera hails from Manyowe Village, Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre.
