By KASONDE KASONDE –
A FORTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD woman of Chinsali District who was facing 17 years imprisonment for indecent assault on a child has had her charge changed to defilement and her sentence increased to 25 years after she appealed against her conviction.
Manase Ndovu appealed against the earlier verdict that the High Court did not consider her medical examination report regarding her sanity.
Ndovu who was then aged 36 years between March 18 and 20, 2008 in Chinsali, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a boy aged 10 years.
Ndovu was employed by the boy’s mother as a house maid who left him in her care as she went to visit her husband who was in hospital.
During the trial in the Ndola High Court, the boy testified that as he was sleeping on his bed Ndovu came to his bed and started touching him and had sex with him, after which, she told the boy not to tell anyone as he would be jailed.
The mother also told the court that when she returned home, she noticed that the boy was experiencing some discomfort when walking and after checking his private parts she noticed that he was swollen and had cuts.
After medical examinations were carried out it was discovered that the boy had contracted gonorrhea and syphilis.
In her defence Ndovu admitted the charge, saying the boy had invited her to his bed and asked her to sleep with him, she refused, but the boy insisted and that was how she had sex with him.
In discharging her appeal, Mr Justice Hamaundu said Ndovu knew what she was saying when she told the court that the boy invited her to his bed and gave her details to the court without any problem.
Justice Hamaundu added that during cross examination Ndovu said the boy invited her to his bed and they had sex.
In passing judgement, Mr Hamaundu dismissed the appeal and changed the conviction from indecent assault, saying it was clear that Ndovu had sex with the boy and changed the case to defilement.
He  was increasing the sentence from 17 years to 25 years because Ndovu had defiled the boy and infected him with Sexually Transmitted Diseases.