BOTSWANAN clergyman Pastor Mathews Kamboyi has been sentenced to nine strokes of the cane by the Kasane Magistrate Court for indecently assaulting three women who were members of his church. Originally from Zambia, Pastor Kamboyi, 25, was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment, suspended and a canning after being found guilty of assaulting the women at different locations in Kasane between September 2012 and November 2013.
According to evidence presented to the court, the accused indecently assaulted one of the complainants by touching her breasts without her consent in September 2012. He also unlawfully and indecently assaulted another woman by touching her private parts and breasts without her consent in July 2013.
In the last count, he unlawfully and indecently assaulted the third victim by touching her private parts and breasts without her consent in November 2013. In mitigation, the pastor pleaded for leniency saying he was a first offender, had a three months pregnant wife and that he was a bread winner. Passing sentence, Magistrate Gofaone Morweng said he took into account the mitigating factors, the nature of the offence and the general interest of society.
Magistrate Morweng said he also took into consideration the fact that the defendant was 25 years old, a family man, a bread winner and displayed remorse during trial. He. however, noted that the defendant caused emotional harm by violating the complainants’ rights to integrity and abused people who had trusted him as a pastor. In addition, the magistrate said two of the complainants looked up to the accused as their employer and he in turn took advantage of them.
When convicting the accused, the magistrate said he was satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and said he did not find it logical that three independent ladies would form related incriminating stories against the accused person. Pastor Kamboyi, who was a member of Breakthrough Ministries before joining Faith Mission was arrested after the women, two of whom were his maids and the third who was his wife’s niece complained.
One of the victims, Gobopaone Patrick told the court that she had contacted the accused’s wife Rosinah, who introduced her to Pastor Kamboyi as her husband. Ms Patrick said that one evening the pastor told her in the presence of his wife that they needed to hold prayer sessions every evening in their house and that when the prayer session began, the pastors wife supported her from behind while the accused was in front.
According to Ms Patrick, she felt dizzy as the pastor touched her tummy and shouted fire and subsequently placed his hand on her womanhood beneath her underwear and shouted In the name of Jesus. she only managed to stop him after a long tussle. Onalethata Rammoko and Odirileng Gabotualo were both victims of a similar crime. Following the judgement, the pastor was de - http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/4077--botswana-court-sentences-pastor-to-nine-strokes-of-the-cane-for-sexual-assault
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