The Women’s Legal Resources Center (Wolrec) has commended the country`s judiciary for making a board step in dealing with rising cases of rape and defilement.

The development follows a number of landmark verdicts that the country courts have so far served after convicts of such cases appealed their respective sentences.

Commenting on the rulings, Wolrec Executive Director Maggie Kathewera Banda said such judgments are a serious lesson to all would-be offenders.

“For me it’s recommendable that the High Court has actually increased the sentences than reducing the sentences.

It sends a message to the public at large that the judiciary is serious in addressing the criminal act of rape and that they are going to do everything within their to ensure that justice is being mated out,” said Kathewera.

Kathewera Banda has also asked men in the country to be responsible enough by desisting from committing such crimes.

“My appeal still goes to the would-be perpetrators; to the men to the boys that still think that women and girls are objects which can be played with anytime they want.

It’s high time they stop they stop this kind of behaviour, men have to be responsible and avoid committing violence against women and girls,” said the WOLREC executive director.

Recently, Justice Ivy Kamanga slapped a 40-year old Aubrey Kalulu to life imprisonment sentence with hard labour for defiling a 10 year old girl.

The sentence follows an appeal by the State of a 30 year imprisonment with hard sentence which was delivered by a lower court.