Eight Years Imprisonment for Traditional Healer

A man who claimed to be a traditional healer was imprisoned for eight years after pleading guilty to four counts of rape.

Selwyn Peter Sisiolo was sentenced yesterday at the High Court.

The Court heard he raped two women in Buala, Isabel Province in July 2007, who came to him for traditional healing after leaning that we was custom doctor who could also predict the future.

The Court heard one of the victims was a 16 year old at the time of the offence, while the second victim was 22 years old.

Mr Sisiolo told the victims that having sexual intercourse was part of the healing process.

Justice Rex Foukona who handed down the sentence said that "the exploitation and abuse of victims who put their trust on people who claim to have special knowledge must carry with it a custodial sentence."

Justice Foukona said the accused had already served prison terms for similar offenses twice, in 1998 and another in 2009.

He says this shows that the accused has little prospects of rehabilitation.