Tanzanians and many across the world are outraged after a middle-aged lady was found to have raped an eight-year-old boy and afflicted him with sexually transmitted diseases.
Desderia Mbwelwa, 57, was sentenced to 29 years in prison by a court over a week ago, but the judgement was not publicised until recently.
On the day of the incident, the woman according to local media sources, came across the victim herding cattle in a community in Iringa’s southern district and inquired as to where his buddies were.
She is then accused of sexually assaulting him under a tree after he stated that none of his buddies were present, local media further reports.
Five witnesses are said to have testified in the case, including a doctor who examined the youngster and determined he had bruises and sexual illnesses as a result of contamination in the genital area.
Mbwelwa is claimed to have justified herself by arguing she is an adult with dependent children and grandkids.
Her lawyer, Frank Mwela, stated that he intends to appeal the verdict because his client was not tested to determine whether or not she had sexually transmitted illnesses.
“My client was not tested positive for those diseases, which both my client and her witness confirmed they don’t have because one of the witnesses is her husband,” he explained.
This is an unusual case as many instances of reported rape have been of males assaulting females. This case therefore shines a spotlight not only ongoing pedophilia but also on the issue of sexual violence against boys.
