Grandfather slapped 21 years for defiling 3 granddaughters

A 40 year old Lilongwe based grandfather will spend the next 21 years in prison with hard labour for betraying his family and sexually abusing three of his own granddaughters aged 10, 14 and 14.

Senior Resident Magistrate Gracious Kondowe handed down the sentence at the Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe after Kupata Chikanga pleaded guilty to three counts of defilement.

The court was told that between May and June 2026, Chikanga used K500 to groom and sexually abuse his three granddaughters at his house.

The matter was uncovered in June 2026 after the parents of one victim received information that their daughter was at Chikanga’s residence at around 7 PM.

The girl first said she had gone to eat rice, but later disclosed that her grandfather had been defiling her.

She further revealed that two other grandchildren were also victims and one of the girls was found to be one month pregnant.

In mitigation, Chikanga asked for leniency saying that he was a first-time offender.

However, the State urged the court to impose a stiff sentence to protect children.

Magistrate Kondowe said the victims were minors incapable of consenting and had suffered lasting harm.

He therefore sentenced Chikanga to 21 years with hard labour.