The Judiciary says it is worried with the increase in the number of defilement cases reported in Eastern province.
Speaking during official opening of the Chipata High Court yesterday, Lusaka based Judge Mwape Dancewell Bowa says according to the cause list for the High Court Session, defilement has continued to be a greatest problem in communities.
Judge Bowa says defilement attracts a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years imprisonment with hard labour, and an upper limit of up to life imprisonment.
He says that in spite of the stiff punishment, there is no reduction in the crime, stating that it is time for society to ask themselves whether there is need to revisit the law to address the vice.
Judge Bowa says that there is also need for a mechanism of dealing with the victims of the crime, who remain traumatized.
And Judge Bowa says the province has also seen an increase in the number of Gender Based Violence cases.
He says according to statistics, the court dealt with 66 cases in 2015 and that the number increased to 70 in 2016, while in 2017, 78 cases were dealt with by the court.
Judge Bowa has commended government and other cooperating partners such as the United Kingdom and the United Nation for putting up a GBV fast truck court, currently under construction in Chipata.
He says the court once completed, will help to quickly deal with GBV cases in the province.