The suspect is said to have been married to the minors mother for five years and he allegedly took advantage of the situation to defile his step-daughter.

Mangochi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub-Inspector Amina Daudi, said Kadembo and his wife were staying at Chipalamawamba area together with the minor and other three children born between the two adults.

Kadembo is alleged to have been defiling the minor for several times since 2018 up to the point of impregnating her, according to Daudi.

“The step daughter now has an eight-month-old baby whose father is Kadembo,” said Daudi, adding: “The suspect was threatening to chase the victim out of the house if she dared to reveal the ordeal to her mother.”

Daudi said the issue came to light on the night of February 18, 2020 when the suspect sneaked into the room of the girl to defile her again while she was fast asleep and the girl screamed.

The suspect escaped and he has been on the run for some days until the police cornered and apprehended him at his home village, Chingondo in Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka.

Meanwhile, a medical report and the results from Mangochi District Hospital have confirmed the girl was defiled and Kadembo has since confessed to have committed the crime and fathered his step daughters child, according to Daudi.

Papiyasi is expected to appear before court to answer the charge of defilement which is contrary to Section 138 of the Penal code. Papiyasis case is the eleventh defilement case to be reported to Mangochi Police Station since January 2020, a scenario Daudi described as worrisome