Lilongwe Principal Resident Magistrate Court has sentenced 56-year-old Lekias Bikoko to 21 years in prison after he defiled and impregnated his 15-year old stepdaughter before procuring abortion for her.

State Prosecutor Sub Inspector Florence Mlanje told the court Wednesday that the convict committed the crimes between November 2020 and March 2021 at Kalinda Village Traditional Authority Mazengera, Lilongwe.

Initially, the court learnt, Bikoko got advised by the herbalist to either sleep with his stepdaughter or render himself impotent as a ritual to get rich.

He chose to defile the victim, got her pregnant and then administered her drugs to abort the pregnancy, leading to serious complications.

During his trial, Bikoko denied the charge, prompting the state to parade four witnesses to prove its case.

Prosecutor Mlanje argued that the victim has some mental problems and had gone a lot through the sexual assault and abortion complications; hence the plea to give the accused a lengthy sentence.

Passing sentence, Principal Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe condemned Bikoko for subjecting the girl to unspeakable horror.

He went ahead to convict and sentence Bikoko to 21 years imprisonment for the first count of defilement and three years for the second of procuring an abortion; the sentences will run concurrently.

Lekiasi Bikoko comes from Mnjolo Village Traditional Authority Chauma in Dedza District.