The Malawi police at Mvera in the central district of Dowa are keeping in custody a 41-year old female pastor for allegedly dumping a newly born baby boy for fear of being fired by the church.
Richard Kaponda, Dowa Public Relations Officer confirmed the arrest to Maravi Post that the suspect, Mercy Longwe who is the pastor at Mvera Assemblies of God committed the offence on May 7, 2015 in the area after well-wishers tipped the police upon the suspect delivering the baby in the bush then later dumped the baby in the same bush.
Upon interrogation, Longwe confessed to the police that she committed the office fear of being fired from church services as her conduct of having baby out of wedlock contravened the churches doctrines which forbid unmarried female pastors to bear a child as such keeping such a baby warranted her punishment.
The suspect also told the police that the decision to dump the baby was aggravated by her boy friend’s denial of pregnancy responsibility which according to her was too hard to bear the consequences alone.
“The baby who is in good health at Mvera health centre, was found by communities crying in the bush while wrapped in clothes which clearly indicated that the baby was dumped. After the baby was taken to the health centre, the police were alerted of the development then launched the investigations on the matter which led to the arrest of Longwe who confessed that was the baby’s owner.
“She even told us that she keep tight rid of the pregnancy that no church member could notice her for fear of being fired as female pastors are forbidden to have children out of wedlock”, explain Dowa Police publicist, Kaponda,
The baby weighs 3.6kg while the mother ( suspect) hails from Chipuza Village of Traditional Authority (T.A) Chiwere in Dowa district, therefore she remains in police custody waiting to appear in court soon to answer the charge of concealing the child’s birth.