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The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has heard that a juvenile who was allegedly sexually abused and impregnated by her father feared seeing him or even hearing his voice.
The case involves a Zambia Air Force soldier charged with one count of incest contrary to Section 159(1) of the Penal Code.
The 41-year-old is accused of defiling and impregnating his 14-year-old biological daughter between August 1 and 31, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty.
During proceedings, the accused applied for a DNA test on a baby born on May 1, 2025, to establish paternity.
The court granted the application and adjourned the matter to April 7, 2026, ordering that none of the parties tamper with the samples.
The accused also informed the court that he would represent himself after his lawyer withdrew from the case.
The State indicated it would rely on legal provisions that allow a child welfare inspector or an authorised officer to submit a report or interview of a child witness as evidence.
A child welfare inspector testified that she interviewed the victim after the girl allegedly disclosed the abuse to her aunt in a written message.
She said the interview was conducted to verify the allegations, and the findings were compiled into a report submitted to the court.
She confirmed that the victim later gave birth to a baby boy on May 1, 2025, and that after delivery she was accessed by her mother and two aunties.
“When she heard that the father would be the one to ask her questions, she declined to come out of fear of seeing him or hearing his voice,” the inspector told the court.
She added that the child would only seek audience with the court if she could not see or hear her father’s voice.
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