A devastating case of child abuse has ended in the conviction of a 45-year-old businessman from Kalikiliki compound, Lusaka.
Francis Kalembula was found guilty of defiling his nine-year-old daughter.
The Grade 2 pupil bravely testified against her father, recounting the horrific events.
She told the court that her father had threatened to beat and kill her if she revealed the abuse.
The mother of the victim had left her children with their father for five days while she was hospitalized with cholera.
Upon her return, she noticed strange behavior from her daughter, who eventually revealed the shocking truth.
Medical records confirmed the sexual assault, contradicting the accused’s claims that the child was defiled by unknown people in a maize field.
Despite the accused’s denials, the prosecution established that he had the opportunity to commit the crime, as he slept on the same bed as his daughter.
Lusaka Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya convicted Kalembula, citing overwhelming evidence.
The case has been referred to the High Court for sentencing.
