A 16-year-old girl convicted of killing penguins will spend 16 hours a month over the next two years cleaning and scrubbing the marine bird enclosure at the East London Aquarium, a magistrate ruled on Tuesday. The girl, who may not be named because she is a minor, confessed to being involved in the killing of nine penguins, two gannets and two pelicans at the aquarium in May. She was convicted on a charge of malicious damage to property. Prosecutor Brendon Sam told the East London Magistrate’s Court that the girl’s age and reports handed in by social workers Twanette Labuschange and Andrea Ferreira counted in her favour. He confirmed that a medical examination dismissed rumours that the girl, who had worked at a local escort agency, was pregnant. In terms of her sentence, she must perform a minimum of 16 hours community supervision per month over the next two years. She will carry out her sentence over weekends, cleaning and scrubbing out the enclosure where she and her accomplices, who are still being sought, battered the birds to death. In addition to the community service the teenager has been sentenced to house-arrest for the entire two-year period and may only leave her home when authorised by the commissioner of correctional services. The investigation into the matter continues and the police have said they are confident that more arrests will be made. – Sapa