Police in Dowa have arrested a 21-year-old woman identified as Kesta Andrew for allegedly concealing birth of a child.
The suspect committed the offence on Wednesday morning (January 20 2021) at Chiponda Village in the area of Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa District.
Dowa Police Publicist Sub Inspector Gladson M’bumpha said that the suspect was pregnant and gave birth on Tuesday afternoon (January 19 2021).
M’bumpha added that on Wednesday (January 20 2021), there was funeral ceremony in the village and one of the people who was at the funeral ceremony went to urinate in the toilet where he heard the baby crying inside the toilet.
“With assistance from the people who gathered at the funeral ceremony, they managed to rescue the child and the suspect admitted to have dumped the baby in the pit latrine, but she did not disclose the reasons for the act,” he explained.
Police were informed and they visited the scene.
Meanwhile, both the suspect and the baby are admitted to Dowa District Hospital where they are receiving treatment.
Kesta Andrew who comes from Chiponda Village in the area of Traditional Authority Msakambewa in Dowa, will appear before court soon after being discharged from the hospital to answer a charge of concealing birth of a child.
