Malawi Police arrest pastor for having sex with praise team girl, forcing abortion

Malawi Police in Lilongwe have arrested a self-proclaimed pastor for allegedly having sex with a teenager and forcing her to illegally abort her pregnancy.

Kanengo police spokesperson Esther Mkwanda says Steve Wingolo, who is a pastor at a pentecostal church in Area 25, Lilongwe was in sexual relationship with a 17-year old Form 3 secondary school student.

“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.

The girl is a member of a praise team at the church where Wingolo ministers.

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 to.

However, Wingolo did not inform the girl’s parents of the hospital admission.

The pastor  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.

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