70-year-old-herbalist, Chiko Vasco has been slapped with a 10-year-jail-term for raping and impregnating his psychiatric client, aged 30.
Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court sitting at Nkungula on July 25, 2022 convicted and sentenced Vasco after pleading guilty to charges levelled against him.
State prosecutor Sub Inspector Maggie Chibulire told the court that in October 2021, the victim developed mental disorder after she miscarried.
Two months later, she was taken to the herbalist for treatment and stayed there for four months.
“In April 2022, the victim started recovering and the convict informed her parents to bring K80, 000 cash as payment for his services. However, the victim’s parents negotiated to pay the amount in instalments. The herbalist got angry with this and moved the victim to another location and declared her as his second wife,” explains Chibulire.
This forced the parents to source the whole amount and went to take their daughter only to discover that she was pregnant.
Medical results at Namalaka Health Centre confirmed that she was indeed pregnant.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded for the court’s leniency; saying he takes care of his family who will suffer if sent to prison.
However, the state quashed this; saying the convict took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability.
Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state, and handed Vasco the 10-year sentence to serve as a lesson to other would be offenders.
Vasco hails from Kadango Village in Traditional Authority Namabvi in Mangochi.
If she got better it means they agreed to marry as normal people the punishment is unnecessary for the herbalist