The public prosecutor in the Democratic Republic of Congo has proposed a 20-year prison sentence for cleargyman Pastor Pierre Kasambakana, head of the primitive church in Kinshasa, on accusations of sexual harassment, forced marriage and indecency.
The authorities have also requested for the closure of his church located on Kabinda Avenue in Lingwala, Kinshasa.
Pastor Pierre Kasambakana was arrested in Kinshasa on January 8, 2024, after his twelfth wedding in Moanda, Kongo Central province where he married a minor against her wish.
Mabiala Nzuzi, father of the alleged victim, was also arrested and the two were transferred to Makala Central Prison.
The civil society have also called for severe sanctions to be served against the pastor whose defense lawyers deny that their client did not commit rape as the alleged victim is an adult and also deny any notion of forced marriage. They plead for the acquittal of their client.
At the High Court of Gombe, the case has been taken under advisement, and the verdict is expected to be delivered on June 7, 2024.
The case arose after a video went viral on social networks, showing the pastor marrying an alleged minor in Moanda, provoking strong reactions from several women’s rights movements, which called for legal proceedings against Pierre Kasambakana.
“We ask the justice system to carry out thorough investigations to determine the age of the girl concerned, release the other girls held under its roof and punish those responsible for these acts,” said on Grace Israella Kangundu, coordinator of Acofepe, a women’s rights NGO.
Women’s rights associations have also urged Minister of Justice, Rose Mutombo, to ensure a rigorous follow-up on the legal proceedings and to ensure the closure of the primitive church until all light is shed on this case and called for increased awareness on gender-based violence and forced marriage.
