Aquasi-religious HIV and AIDS organization says it has applied to court to join a case in which a pastor is accused of impregnating a 17 year old secondary school student and forcing her to abort.

Acting Chief executive officer of Malawi Interfaith Aids Association (MIAA) Pilira Ndafera Nkhande said what Steve Wingolo of soul savers Church in Lilongwe did was retrogressive in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

“He has also degraded spiritual values by forcing the girl to abort,” said Ndaferankhande.

She said MIAA will join the case as friends of court to ensure Wigolo gets the appropriate punishment for his deeds.

Kanengo police spokesperson Esther Mkwanda says Steve Wingolo, who is a pastor at a church in Area 25, Lilongwe was in sexual relationship with a 17 year old form 3 student and a praise team member of his church.

“In August 2019, the girl realized that she was pregnant and informed Wingolo who was responsible. Wingolo told her to go for abortion and gave her money for the abortion,” said Mkwanda.

Mkwanda said the abortion did not go well and on Tuesday, September 17, Wingolo took the girl to a mission hospital where she was admitted.

However, Wingolo did not inform the girl’s parents of the hospital admission and he decided that he became the patient guardian and told the hospital staff that he was the father to the girl.

After two days, the hospital staff became suspicious and inquired about the girl’s school which later informed the parents of their child’s admission to the hospital.

The girl informed her parents that Wingolo impregnated and made her abort forcing the parents to report the matter to police who immediately arrested the church pastor.

Wingolo appeared before the Nkukula First Grade Magistrate court in Lilongwe and has since been remanded pending the start of the full trial.

Wingolo is still on court ordered remand following his arrest last week.

He hails from Nchochoma village in chief Kamenyagwaza’s area in Dedza.