Tanzania has been engulfed in a wave of anger after it was revealed that a woman in her middle age has been convicted of raping an eight-year-old boy, leading to him contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Desderia Mbwelwa, aged 57, was sentenced to 29 years in prison on Friday, although the specific details of the verdict were largely undisclosed until now. The shocking revelation of this crime has sparked outrage throughout Tanzania.
The incident occurred when the woman came across the victim while he was tending to cattle in a village located in the southern district of Iringa. She inquired about the whereabouts of his friends and upon discovering their absence, she proceeded to sexually assault him under a tree.
During the trial, five witnesses, including a doctor who examined the boy, provided testimony confirming his injuries and the presence of sexual infections in his genital area, which indicated the occurrence of the assault.
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Mbwelwa apparently defended herself by emphasizing her status as an adult with dependents, including children and grandchildren. Her lawyer, Frank Mwela, stated his intention to appeal the verdict, arguing that his client was not tested to confirm the presence of sexually transmitted diseases.
“In the cases of both my client and her witness, there were no positive test results for those diseases, as both of them confirmed they do not have them. One of the witnesses is her husband,” he explained.
Source – BBC
