By Chisomo Phiri
Malawi Police in the capital Lilongwe are keeping in custody a 36-year-old Patrick James for allegedly sodomizing 18-year-old street connected youth on the pretext of giving him a shelter.
It is gathered that James who is a roaming plastic bottle collector, met the victim in Mchesi Market, where the victim was also collecting some plastic bottles.
It is further reported that upon learning that the victim lived in the street after being chased and denied by his father, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the suspect offered him shelter at an unfinished house he was also sleeping illegally.
Things changed just a day later, whereby the following night, the victim was amazed to see James removing his clothes. When quizzed about his strange behaviour, the suspect allegedly threatened the victim’s life if he dared to shout.
The following morning, traumatized by the ordeal, the victim bade farewell to his host, a decision he later rescinded after James promised him never to repeat the alleged abuse.
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the victim is said to have made up his mind to run away after the suspect had attempted to sodomize him again while they were in transit from selling bottles at Kanengo.
Later, a pastor came to the victim’s aid and took him to Lingadzi Police Station.
Upon getting wind of the news, the station’s Officer-In-Charge, Assistant Commissioner of Police Billy Chimbonga, ordered his detectives to hunt and apprehend the suspect the same night.
A hospital report has since confirmed that the victim was sodomized.
James, hails from Mateketa village in the area of Traditional Authority(T/A) Chikowi in Zomba district, and will this morning be taken to court to answer the case of sodomy contrary to Section 153 of Malawi’s Penal Code, which attracts the maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment.
