JUVENILE SEX OFFENDER SET FREE
Written by Millennium on September 11, 2019
MULENGA MUSONDA writes
@SunZambian
A 16 YEARS old juvenile who defiled and impregnated a 15 years old girl, has been let off the hook after he told the Choma Magistrates Court the girl lied they were of the same age.
This is in a matter in which the boy was facing one count of defilement which happened on April 17.
The girl told the court that the two were in a sexual relationship dating as far back as January 17.
She said that despite her parents not being in support of the relationship she continued to see her boyfriend till she fell pregnant, and when he was called he admitted responsibility.
Choma Senior Resident Magistrate Idah Mupemo sitting in the Fast Track Court for Gender Based Violence observed that the prosecution never challenged the juvenile offender’s defence that the girl told him she was 16 years.
The court further found that the arresting officer from the Victim Support Unit also confirmed the boy’s statement in court.
Despite the court establishing that the girl was underage at the time she had sex with the juvenile offender, it had reasonable cause to believe that the two were of the same age.
