Madrasa teacher gets life sentence for defiling minor

Singida. Madrassa teachers have for a long time been known to be of great importance when it comes to instilling religious morals into children, but this was not the case in Singida Region where one of them defied what people expect of him.
Seventy-six year-old Daudi Idd Karata, a resident of Unyankindi Street, has been slapped with a life imprisonment after the Singida Resident Magistrate’s Court found him guilty of defiling a nine-year girl.
The pupil (name withheld) was in Standard Two at Unyankindi Primary School at the time when she was defiled. The abode of the convict, who is a businessman and traditional doctor, is close to the school.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Barabara, assisted by Almachius Bagenda, told the court’s magistrate, Robert Olud, that the accused committed the offence from December 2016 to October 2017 in contravention with sexual offences Special Provisions Act sections no. 130 (1) (2) (e) and 131 (3)  penal code cap. 16/1.
Ms Barabara asked the court to mete out severe punishment to the suspect so that it could serve as a lesson to him and others who intend to commit similar offences.
“I ask this court that when making a ruling, it should remember that the government has invested a lot in protection of children rights. However, there are a few people who have been weakening such efforts. To stamp out such acts, the court should consider meting out a severe punishment,” said the prosecutor.
However, in defence, the accused insisted that due to his position as a religious teacher,  it was impossible for him to commit such an offence.
“Magistrate, I have a culture of providing different gifts to pupils including sweets, exercise books and sometimes I donated school uniforms. So, I insist that I did not commit the offence,” he told court.
Passing the sentence, the magistrate told the court that she was satisfied with evidence produced by the prosecution and proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty.
“Sexually offences Act no.131 section 3 clearly stipulates that if an accused person is found guilty of raping a child under the age of 10 years, his punishment is a life imprisonment,” the magistrate said.
Besides, the convict is also facing another case of rape at the court, whose hearing started on October 23, 2017.