THE Ndola High Court has sentenced a 40-year-old man to 15 years behind bars for indecently assaulting his step-daughter, whom he offered a K10 in exchange for sex. Judge Yvonne Chembe sentenced Bernard Simwanza, 40, after the lower court found him guilty of indecent assault. The trial court heard that on unknown dates but in the month of August last year, Simwanza unlawfully and indecently assaulted his stepdaughter.

It was heard that while in the company of his stepdaughter and his son at their field, Simwanza sent away his son and started touching his step-daughter’s vagina. On a different date, Simwanza went into his step-daughter’s bedroom and attempted to have sex with her but was only stopped by his other children, who found him naked

The court further heard that the following day, the child found bruises on her private parts. She further narrated that the third time Simwanza went to her in the night, she slapped him. The victim also told court that she decided to tell the mother after he told her that he wanted to give her K10 so that he could have sex with her.

And Simwanza’s wife, Racheal Namukondo, also narrated how she found her husband pants-down in their children’s room at around 01:00 hours. She added that with the help of what her child told her earlier, she found her husband putting on a short while her daughter was dressed. Ms Namukondo said the following day she went and informed the pastor, who advised that they report the matter to police because it was too sensitive.

After trial, the lower court found him guilty, convicted and committed him to the High Court for sentencing. And when it came to the High Court for sentencing, in mitigation through his lawyer from the legal aid board, Simwanza begged for leniency as he was a married man with eight children and was looking after 12 orphans.

But Judge Chembe said Simwanza’s conduct was inhuman and he needed to be removed from society. “The record shows that he indecently assaulted a step-daughter while his wife was sleeping in the bedroom. His foolishness has gotten him here today. It took the wife to wake up before he could defile the child. This behaviour requires that you are removed from society. I will sentence you to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour,” judge Chembe said