Church moderator raps Home Secretary over Malawaian family

The Church of Scotland Guild made another impassioned plea to keep a Malawian woman and her daughter in Scotland at their annual meeting in Dundee.

Addressing 2000 Guild members in the Caird Hall on Saturday, the Moderator of the General Assembly the Right Rev John Christie voiced support for Florence Mhango and her daughter Precious (10), who lost their right to stay in the UK after she left her husband whose student visa they were travelling on.

Mrs Mhango claims that if returned to Africa, her daughter will be taken to live with her former husband’s family and will be at risk of genital mutilation.

Mr Christie voiced bitter disappointment at Home Secretary Theresa May’s refusal to intervene despite receiving a joint letter from himself, First Minister Alex Salmond and Cardinal Keith O’Brien.

He said, “There are certainly good reasons for them to be allowed to stay in Scotland.”