Police in Dowa have arrested, a 20-year-old woman, for allegedly committing the offense of concealing the birth of a child, in violation of section 232 of the Penal Code.

Dowa Police Public Relations Officer Alice Sitima, has identified the suspect Mtipatula Moses who hails from Mphetuka village, T/A Nsakambewa in the District.

According Sitima, the suspect gave birth on May 24, 2024, and disposed of the baby in a toilet.

Three days later, a foul smell led village headman Mphetuka to order the demolition of the toilet where the baby’s decomposed body was found.

A postmortem at Dowa District Hospital confirmed the cause of death as suffocation.

Moses was at large until her arrest on July 20, 2024, when she returned to the village to visit her other children.

She will soon appear in court to answer the charge of concealing the birth of a child.