By Esnart Chingwalu

Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday sentenced a Clinical Officer at Mangochi District Hospital George Gwagwala, 31, to 19 years imprisonment with hard for raping a 20-year-old woman.

The court heard that the convict was working as a clinician at the health facility and on August 8, 2021, the victim went to the hospital for medical attention as she was having an ankle pain and she met the convict on duty at the casualty ward.

He then told the survivor and another patient to follow him and he took them to his hostel.

The first to be assisted was the male patient after that the convict invited the survivor into the room and surprisingly the clinician locked the door and forced himself on his patient, consequently injuring her and tearing her clothes in the process.

The matter was then reported at Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO) district office which brought the survivor to Mangochi Police Station where she was issued a referral letter and the the results from the same hospital confirmed that she was raped.

Gwagwala pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape which prompted the state to parade four witnesses who testified against him and was later found guilty by the court.

In mitigation, among others Gwagwala asked for the court’s leniency citing that his family invested a lot of money in his studies and all would be wasted if he would be sent to prison.

However, the state said the clinician’s immoral behaviour could dent the image of medical workers and since he violated rights of the patient (victim) hence the need for a stiff and custodial sentence.

Passing sentence, Senior Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe concurred with the state and he said the sentence should serve as a lesson to other would be offenders.

Gwagwala hails from Helemani Village, Traditional Authority Khwethemule in Thyolo district.