A 36-year-old soldier has been jailed for 20 years with hard labour after being convicted of repeatedly abusing a 15-year-old girl and getting her pregnant in the process.

Diof Simaone was sentenced by the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, September 1, following his conviction last Friday, according to Central West Region Police Public Relations Officer Sub Inspector Foster Benjamin.

Prosecutor Sub Inspector Thandizo Chingaru told the court that Simaone had sexually abused the child on four separate occasions between April and August 2025, resulting in her pregnancy.

Simaone had pleaded not guilty at trial, forcing the State to parade four witnesses in order to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In court, prosecutor Chingaru pushed for a harsh sentence, arguing that as a military officer, Simaone should have been protecting the vulnerable child rather than exploiting her.

Pleading for leniency in mitigation, Simaone asked the court -- and the nation as a whole -- to forgive him for his actions.

But Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe sided firmly with the State, handing Simaone the full 20-year sentence with hard labour.

Simaone hails from Nakoka Village, Traditional Authority Mwambo, in Zomba District.