An HIV-positive Malawian man has been sentenced to 24 months
in jail with hard labour for having unprotected sex with newly bereaved widows.
The practice of "widow cleansing", when a widow
must have sex after her husband dies, was outlawed a few years ago.
must have sex after her husband dies, was outlawed a few years ago.
Eric Aniva, known in Malawi as a "hyena", admitted
to the BBC to having sex with more than 100 women and girls and not disclosing
his HIV status. This led to President Peter Mutharika ordering his arrest in
July.
The man with HIV who says he had sex with 104 women and
girls. My fight against hyenas. Mr Mutharika had wanted Aniva tried for
defiling young girls, but none came forward to testify against him.
Instead, he was tried for "harmful cultural
practice" under section five of Malawi's Gender Equality Act, for having
sex with new widows. Two women testified against him. Aniva's lawyer, Michael
Goba Chipeta, said he would appeal against the conviction and the sentence.
The case has attracted international media attention and
sharply divided opinion as to how widespread the practice remains. Aniva was
the subject of a BBC feature into various sexual cleansing practices in Malawi.
Last year, Malawi banned child marriage, raising the legal age of marriage from
15 to 18 - something activists hoped would put an end to early sexual
initiations.
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