A 48 year old man in Balaka is in police custody for allegedly abducting six girls and defiling them several times.

Balaka police spokesperson  Joseph Sauka confirmed of the arrest and identified the suspect as Richard Mandala Chisale.

According to police, the abducted girls are aged between 12 and 15 and they were abducted three months ago.

The issue came to light after the parents of one of the victims reported their 12 year old daughter who was in Standard 7 missing.

Medical examination from Balaka District Hospital revealed that the victims were repeatedly defiled.

Chisale hails from Kandengwe village, Senior Chief Nsamala in Balaka district.