By LUCY PHIRI
A 15-YEAR-OLD defilement victim on Friday went missing at the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court before she was later found outside one of the courtrooms.
The girl, who earlier appeared in court in a defilement case, is also suspected to be epileptic and suffers from mental illness.
She was initially in court in a case involving a 28-year-old bus conductor of Chawama compound in Lusaka, who is accused of defiling her on March 26 this year.
The court was informed by a social welfare officer that an assessment established that the teenager need to have her mental status examined by a doctor and that the she is also showing signs of epilepsy.
Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya then ordered that the victim be taken to Chainama Hills College Hospital for a mental examination.
The magistrate also ruled that she gives unsworn evidence.
The case will resume on June 12 for presentation of the psychiatric report with the prosecution indicating that they will change the charge from defilement of a child to defilement of an imbecile.
But after the case was adjourned, the girl, in the company of her 76-year-old grandmother went to the ladies toilets.
The victim came out first and left her guardian there but lost her way.
After about two hours of searching by the grandmother and two court officials, she was found seated outside another courtroom.
A prosecutor who was handling the case is the one who managed to trace her.
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