In a landmark ruling, the High Court of Malawi in Kasungu has sentenced Charles Chipeta to life imprisonment for the heinous m_rder of a young girl with albinism in Traditional Authority Chulu, Kasungu.
Chipeta was arrested in 2023 along with five others and faced four counts of m_rder, conspiracy to harm a person with a disability, possession of human tissue, and extraction of human tissue.
The court’s verdict has been welcomed by Senior State Advocate Festus Sakanda, who emphasised that the ruling serves as a strong deterrent to potential offenders.
Sylvester Mhone, Vice Chairperson for the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Kasungu chapter), echoed Sakanda’s sentiments, urging the community to shift its attitude from harming to protecting individuals with albinism.
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In addition to life imprisonment for m_rder, Chipeta received concurrent sentences of 50 years for each of the three other charges.
His accomplices, Mosten Mbumba and Kennedy Zamala Zomba, were sentenced to 45 years for murder and 40 years for the remaining charges.
Jeremiah Dodoli Nkhoma and Rogers Sambo received 40-year sentences for possession of human tissue.
This ruling marks a significant milestone in the fight against violence and discrimination against persons with albinism in Malawi.
