GBV LANDS TWO YOUTHS IN JAIL

…as magistrate recites 16 days of activism December

THE

fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV) came to reality when a Kitwe Magistrate’s court jailed two young men for nine months with hard labour for assaulting a woman.

Steven Mulilo 20 and Steven Mumba 21 were imprisoned as the country was commemorating the 16 days of activism against GBV, which is set to galvanise action to end violence against women and girls.

The commemoration starts from November 25 to

20, every year. In sentencing the duo, Principal Resident Magistrate Chongo Musonda said she was sending them to prison despite being first offenders and reminded them that the country was commemorating 16 days of activism against GBV.

The two were convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Peggy Nyirenda.

On November 10 this year, Ms Nyirenda was at Chimwemwe market pursuing some people who owed her money.

But from nowhere, Mulilo and Mumba whom she did not even know, accosted her and started hurling insults at her.

At this point, she inquired why they were insulting her, but the two started punching her mercilessly.

The court heard that on-lookers saved her from further pummelling but she had already sustained two cuts on the left check and a bruised eye.

While wincing in pain and trying to gain her composure, on lookers apprehended the two men and took them to Nakadoli police post.

In mitigation, the two pleaded for mercy from the court stating that they were first offenders who readily pleaded guilty. The magistrate said she had considered that the offence carried five years but added that as first offenders the two were entitled to leniency.

She therefore sentenced them to nine months imprisonment and cautioned that people should refrain from GBV and that the country had joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 16 days of activism against GBV.