Source: Times of Zambia

TWO men have been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment each with hard labour for taking turns in raping a 36-year-old woman within a police camp.

Kitwe High Court Judge Isaac Chali sent to jail Haggai Lupupila, 29, and Clifford Musonda, 24, for raping the woman on February 4, last year.

Lupupila admitted the charge, while Musonda denied committing the offence.

The matter was before the court for review and sentencing.

Evidence in court was that the woman was visiting Kitwe with her husband and the couple parked their motor vehicle at Kitwe Main Bus Station in the evening.

Later, the woman decided to buy a drink at a nearby shop when she was accosted by two men who informed her that they were police officers.

The two men dragged the woman to a nearby netball pitch within the police camp and hit her with an iron bar.

They tore her clothes, gagged her mouth with a chitenge material as they threatened to kill her if she resisted to have sex with them.

The court heard that the duo took turns in raping her and that each one of them abused her thrice.

The victim only managed to free herself when a vehicle approached the pitch.

In a naked state and screaming for help, the victim ran towards the vehicle where she was covered with a chitenge material by another woman.

She was helped by two female police officers who took her to the police station where she found that Musonda had been apprehended by some people who gave chase.

In sentencing the duo, Mr Justice Chali said the circumstances of the case were unacceptable as the accused persons posed as police officers.

“I find the circumstances of the case unacceptable, and to teach the accused not to indulge in such offences, I shall put them away for a long time so that by the time they are released, they are totally sexually disabled.

“I therefore, sentence each of the convicts to 35 years imprisonment with hard labour,” the judge said.

• Zambia