Police in Dowa are keeping in custody a 25 year old woman identified as Killiness Lackson from Mgonja Village in Traditional Authority Msakambewa in the district for concealing birth of a child.

Public Relations Officer for Dowa Police, Sub Inspector Gladson M’bumpha, confirmed that they arrested the woman after being tipped by the community about the incident.

“It took the efforts of elderly women in the village who noticed the disappearance of the pregnancy to confront the suspect who admitted to have dumped the baby in the pit latrine,” he said.

M’bumpha said police have not yet established reasons why the woman dumped the baby but suspect it was due to psychological effects due to the fact that the man responsible for the pregnancy abandoned her.

“The suspect once got married and has two children with the man who later abandoned her for unknown reasons.

“She later got married to another man who also abandoned her this year, leaving the pregnancy at an advanced stage,” M’bumpha said.

He said the suspect has been charged with concealing birth of a child and will be dragged to court soon.