VISUALLY IMPAIRED RUFUNSA MAN ACCUSED OF DEFILING A SIGHTED GUIDE

A 51-YEAR-OLD visually impaired man of Lukanga village in Mpanshya’s chiefdom of Rufunsa has been put on defense for defiling a minor after luring her to his house pretending to seek a sighted guide on two separate incidents.

The matter came up for trial before Magistrate Allan Kangwa of the Luangwa District Magistrate Court which is sitting in Rufunsa District. The accused, Adrian Lungu, 51 was found with a case to answer in a matter of defilement contrary to section 138 sub section 1 chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Facts of the matter are that the accused is alleged to have defiled a 12 year-old grade six girl of the same area on two separate dates between November, 2022 and January 18th this year. This came to light when the Public

Prosecutor, Chimbizgani Bilima presented the facts before court.

The victim who is a witness in this matter told the court that sometime in November last year the accused did invite her to her house. She said that he asked her to guide home to a house of a named man in the area. She disclosed that she obliged and went to his house to provide her services, but was surprised that the accused dragged her into the house. The girl told the court that he later pushed her on the bed and forced himself on her. The court also heard that the accused gave her a K50.00 and warned her not to tell anyone about what had transpired and so she did not.

And a witness, George Mumba narrated that he found the girl at the accused's house where he had gone to seek shelter from the rains. He said that on January 18th 2023, he sought shelter at the accused’s house. He said that he was shockingly denied help by the accused who was not keen to entertain him.

Mumba told the court that he decided to quietly wait in a makeshift shelter to avoid the rains and also wait to see who was in the house with the suddenly unfriendly Adrian.

He said that true to his suspicion he saw the victim walking out of the house after some hours. The witness told the court that he immediately approached the girl to find out what the matter was. He said that the girl responded by crying and he decided to escort her to her mother where she narrated the defilement ordeal.

Another witness, Olipa Zulu, who is the mother of the victim, told the court that on the material day she had sent her child to buy sugar from a nearby shop. She told the court that the victim took longer than usual making her wonder what the matter was. She said that she later saw her daughter come with George Mumba who narrated how he found her at Adrian’s house.

The court heard that the mother interrogated her daughter who told her how the accused grabbed her and had carnal knowledge with her. She said that the girl said Adrian called her to his house to ask for assistance with a mobile number that had called his phone.

The court heard that the child told the mother that this was not the first time the incident had happened and so the mother had no option, but to report the matter to the relevant authorities. The court found the accused with a case to answer and put him on defense. The matter was therefore adjourned to June 6th in Luangwa District for mention while the continued trial will be on July 19th in Rufunsa District.