President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has ordered the immediate arrest of a Nsanje-based man whose documentary on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) last week disclosed that he deliberately sleeps with young girls without protection despite knowing fully well that he is HIV positive.
Last week, – Eric Aniva made headlines on the social media both locally and Internationally that he is what’s known as a ‘hyena’ – a man paid to have sex with young girls as a form of ritual cleansing.
Aniva said is hired by the community to cleanse the young girls as they approach puberty disregarding their mental and physical health, and their education.
The news also did not please President Mutharika who immediately orders for his arrest.
In a statement from the Officer of the President and Cabinet (OPC) signed by Presidential Press Officer Mgeme Kalilani, Mutharika as everyone in the country is disturbed with the report.
“It is deplorable that after all the gains made, particularly, in the development of different laws (Child Care, Protection and Justice Act; Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act; Gender Equality Act) which have been put in place to protect girls, children and the youth in this country, that there are some people and communities who continue to commit gross violations against the girl child and women,” reads the statement.
It adds: “As the Malawi leader and Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Police Service, the President has directed the Police to immediately arrest Mr. Eric Aniva, investigate him and take him to court forthwith for the defilement cases which he apparently confesses to”.
The President has further ordered tough action to Aniva for deliberately putting the young girls under the threat of contracting HIV/AIDS due to his serostatus.
“And since Mr. Eric Aniva confesses to be HIV positive and that he never uses protection in his evil acts against the innocent girls and women, he should further be investigated for exposing the young girls to contracting HIV and further be charged accordingly.”
The Malawi leader says any form of abuse towards girls will always be faced with stiff punishment because it is retrogressive in as far as development is concerned.
