Aniva in court today
Eric Aniva, the Nsanje man who confessed to defiling young girls and sleeping with widows in a sexual cleansing ritual when he was HIV positive, will appear in Nsanje Magistrate’s Court today.
Both National Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa and Aniva’s second wife Fanny Eric confirmed in separate interviews yesterday.
“It is true Aniva will be in court tomorrow. He will be answering a case of prohibited harmful act which is contrary to Section 5 of the Gender Act,” said Gondwa.
Looking depressed and helpless, Eric said she is praying hard for the safety and release of her husband, saying since he went behind bars, life has been unbearable for the family.
She pleaded with President Peter Mutharika to forgive her husband, saying from her knowledge, the man stopped the practice way before he married her four years ago.
Aniva’s story became popular following an interview he granted the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on July 21, in which he confessed being hired to sleep with girls and widows in a sexual cleansing ritual. The revelations prompted Mutharika to order his arrest.
Aniva’s first wife is from Traditional Authority (T/A) Malemia and Eric comes from T/A Mbenje. Both T/A Mbenje and acting T/A Malemia Foster Chale, said they would attend the court hearing scheduled for today.
“It is embarrassing. The case is based on history. The man is a changed person,” said Chale. n
