A Malawi court has convicted an HIV-positive man who had confessed to having sex with 104 girls and widows in traditional "sexual cleansing" rituals. Eric Aniva, 45, was found guilty on Friday on two counts after a one-day trial in a packed courtroom in the district of Nsanje. "It is clear ... that the state has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was engaging in harmful practices," the magistrate, Innocent Nebi, said. "I find you guilty and convict you accordingly," he said, adding that sentencing would be on November 22. The verdict did not take into account the man's HIV-positive status, because there was no evidence of any of the girls or women having caught the virus. Custom in some parts of southern Malawi dictates that a man, known as a "hyena", is paid to have sex with bereaved widows to exorcise evil spirits and to prevent other deaths from happening. "I dared to reveal what I have been practising...
Comments
Post a Comment