An HIV-positive man has been arrested in Malawi after saying he was paid to have sex with children and young women as part of a 'cleansing ritual'.
Eric Aniva, a sex worker, told local and international media that families paid him to have sex with their children as part of an initiation rite at puberty. He allegedly also admitted he did not tell the families he was HIV-positive.
After publicly saying he wanted to stop doing this, Mr Aniva was arrested by police and condemned for committing "evil acts" by Malawi's President Peter Mutharika.
Mr Mutharika said the revelation had damaged the reputation of the south-east African nation.
"All people involved in this malpractice should be held accountable for subjecting their children and women to this despicable evil," he said in a statement.
"These horrific practices, although done by a few, also tarnish the image of the whole nation of Malawi internationally and bring shame to us all."
He added that Mr Aniva, who has been charged with multiple charges relating to have sex with children, would be "further investigated for exposing the young girls to contracting HIV and be charged accordingly".
Police inspector general Lexten Kachama said: "Out of the many women he had sex with, most of them were under-aged children."
human rights lawyer, Chrispine Sibande, said that Mr Aniva's role in the ritual was well-established across parts of Malawi. It is related to another practice in which men called "hyenas" have sex with women who cannot get pregnant.
Ms Sibande welcomed the president's condemnation of Mr Aniva's actions and his promise that such crimes should be investigated.
"The practice is very rampant in some parts of the country," she said.
Malawi's government raised the age at which people can get married from 15 to 18 last year.
Additional reporting from the Associated Press
