Police in Dowa are keeping in custody a 64 year old man for allegedly defiling an 8 year old pupil in Katsukampando Village in the district.

Dowa Police Publicist, Sergeant Richard Kaponda confirmed of the arrest and identified the suspect as Jaston Kamphandule.

“The girl begged Kamphandule, who is a pork butcher, to give her the meat which the suspect was selling the previous day, then Kamphandule told the victim to follow him to his house on the way home, he dragged the child to the nearby graveyard and defiled her,” said Kaponda.

Kaponda further said, the suspect gave the girl K50 as a bribe not to tell anyone, but the victim notified her mum who later reported the issue to police who arrested Kamphandule on the same day.

Kamphandule hails from Katsukampando Village traditional Authority Msakambewa in the District.