Police in Mponela, Dowa District, have arrested a 26 year old woman for concealing birth of a child.

The suspect has been identified as Chrissy Patrick  and hails from Nkhamanga village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponela in Dowa District.

It is reported that the suspect had an eight months pregnancy and on November 24,2021 the suspect was seen without the pregnancy.

Some elderly women enquired from her where she revealed that she gave birth to a baby boy and dumped it into a pit latrine.

The scene of crime was visited by CID personnel together with a medical officer from Mponela Rural Hospital and after digging the latrine the child was found inside already dead.

Death was confirmed to be due to asphixia secondary to unassisted delivery.

Currently the suspect has been referred to Dowa District hospital for treatment.