A Malawi man was arrested on Tuesday after admitting to having sex with more than 100 young women and children.
President Peter Mutharika ordered the arrest of Eric Aniva shortly after he was profiled in a BBC documentary for his work as a "hyena man." As part of a rite of passage common in some remote parts of Malawi, Aniva was paid to have sex with young girls as they reached puberty. He told the BBC he was paid $4-7 for each initiation ceremony, which is meant to teach girls how to engage in sex acts.
"Some girls are 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older," he said. "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."
Such traditions are not limited to young girls. In some places a woman whose husband dies, for example, would be required to sleep with a hyena man before she can bury him, according to the BBC. Aniva has several children and two wives, including one widow he "cleansed" in a ceremony.
The government and various NGOs have attempted to crack down on the ceremonies, but they are still "very rampant in some parts of the country," according to Malawi human rights lawyer Chrispine Sibande.
According to the Associated Press, Aniva is being charged with "multiple cases of defilement. Because he did not disclose to the girls or their parents that he was HIV positive, President
Mutharik said that Aniva may face further charges for exposing them to the disease.
"Harmful cultural and traditional practices cannot be accepted in this country," he said in a statement. "All people involved in this malpractice should be held accountable for subjecting their children and women to this despicable evil."
