PASTOR FOUND GUILTY OF S£XUALLY ASS@ULTING TEEN
A NDOLA-BASED pastor has been found guilty of indecently ass@ulting a 17-year-old girl during prayers.
Pastor Gellion Jones, 28, has been convicted and committed to the High Court for sentencing by Ndola Magistrates Court.
Jones, a pastor of Kopaland Township, allegedly indecently ass@ulted a 17-year-old girl for three days in a church building in September last year.
In her testimony, the victim told the court that on the material day, she was with her boyfriend at Kambeba Police Post, where the latter was detained for alleged ass@ult.
She said after spending a night at the police post, she went to the pastor’s place in fear of her parents at home after being with the boyfriend, whom her parents did not approve of.
The victim claimed that while at the pastor’s place, she was given some water which made her dizzy after drinking it.
“When we reached there, Kelvin Lungu [her boyfriend] left me in the sitting room with his pastor, who gave me something like water to drink,” she said.
“The same liquid caused me to sleep and I only found myself nak£d the following morning in a certain room which had nothing but they claimed that it was used for prayers and offerings were done from there.”
The victim further claimed that Jones continued giving her the same liquid for three days until she was rescued from the place on the third day when her parents went searching for her.
In defence, Jones denied committing the offense stating that the period he was arrested, police in the campany of the victim, visited the church, where the incident is alleged to have happened.
He said when the victim was told to show the police the room where she was allege to have been indecently ass@ulted, she failed.
“She only showed up police a room where we put offerings baskets and it is an open room without keys where every church member has access,” he said.
But Magistrate veronica Sikwangala found Jones guilty stating that she believed the victim’s evidence especially that her mother told the court that her child went missing from home from the time the offence is alleged to have happened.
“I am, therefore, satisfied that the state has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and now, therefore, proceeds to convict the accused accordingly,” she said.
Magistrate Sikwangala however, stated that she had no power to sentence the convict and would commit him to the High Court for sentencing.
Credit: Zambia Daily Mail