A Malawian man who bragged about having sex with underage girls to initiate them into womanhood has been arrested, authorities say.
Eric Aniva sparked social media outrage last week when he told local and international media that families pay him to have sex with young girls to mark their passage from childhood into womanhood.
Parents hire him when the girls reach puberty as a form of ritual cleansing, he said.
One of many ‘hyenas’
Aniva said men who get paid for such services are referred to as hyenas, adding that he’s one of many in his community in southern Malawi.
In an interview published last week, he told the BBC that he makes between $4 to $7 for each encounter.
“Some girls are just 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older,” he told the BBC.
“All these girls find pleasure in having me as their hyena. They actually are proud and tell other people that this man is a real man, he knows how to please a woman.”
He said while he’s HIV-positive, the families paying him are unaware of his status. The story added that for cultural reasons, “hyenas” don’t use protection such as condoms.
President orders his arrest
Following the interview, Malawian President Peter Mutharika ordered his arrest and an investigation into others involved in the practice.
“At a time when we as a country are making notable strides toward emancipation of the girl child, it is disheartening that within our borders are men, women and whole communities who deliberately choose to abuse our girls in the name of culture,” Mutharika said in a statement.
“To those who continue to or might harbor thoughts to practice cultural practices that disorient our girl child, I have a message for you: ‘Stop now or you will be on the sorry side of the law.'”
Aniva, who lives in Nsanje District, is in his 40s. Police arrested him Tuesday.
Sexual initiations
Two years ago, human rights groups reported that various regions in southern Malawi teach sexually explicit content to their youth.
These communities also practice initiations that encourage premarital sex, according to Malawi Human Rights Commission.
Human rights groups found instances where “hyenas” engage in sexual intercourse with girls who are told the experience will determine whether they have really grown up.
In addition, girls as young as six have been sent to initiation camps to learn how to have sex, the rights commission reported.
Girls rights advocates have tried to persuade traditional authorities and chiefs — who hold power in local government and are perceived as custodians of culture — to do away with camps like these.
Grim statistics
Some African communities believe that having sex with virgins cures a man of HIV.
Malawi has one of the highest HIV rates in the world, with more than 10% of the population between ages 15 and 49 infected with HIV/AIDS, according to the World Health Organization.
The nation ranks 10th worldwide for the highest rate of child marriages, with half of its children married before age 18.
Malawi raised the legal marrying age from 15 to 18 last year, making child marriage illegal. The age of sexual consent in the southern African country is 16.
