Will Sex with a Virgin Cure HIV/AIDS? – Why Zambian Children Are Being Defiled: The Courts Try New Measures to Stop the Record Number of Cases
by Delphine Zulu
– Zambia –
The number of children being defiled in Zambia has continued to increase dramatically because of a widespread belief that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV/AIDS; this mis-information is mainly spread by local traditional healers.
Because this problem continues to plague Zambia’s children and in addition accelerates the spread of AIDS, Zambia’s High Court judges have urgently called for the amendment of the Defilement Act: the hope is that publicly parading and photographing the offenders will deter them, where prison sentences have not.
At every court in Zambia, whether in lower or higher courts, at least three to four defilement cases are now being handled per session, compared to recent years past, when defilement cases only came before the courts about once every three months.
“Partial indicators reveal that defilement cases are on an increase with the leading cause being the belief that having sex with children will cure them from the deadly HIV/AIDS disease, followed by traditional belief that they can be rich due to poverty levels.
In an interview recently with the President of the Traditional Health Practitioner’s Association of Zambia, Dr Rodwell Vongo admitted that most HIV/AIDS patients are getting the wrong advice from the healers. He warned that police will soon be arresting any traditional healer who continues to spread this dangerous rumor about how to heal AIDS.
He also said that he intends to conduct investigations by interviewing the culprits facing defilement charges, in order to establish the names of healers who have spread this mis-information, and they will be de-registered.
“The belief that having sex with [a] minor is the leading cause of child sexual abuse in Zambia. As you are aware, Zambia has about 46,000,000 people currently on antiretroviral (ARVs); many believe [this false advice] and this is leading to rampant increases”, said Judge Gregory Phiri.
The judges have also asked stakeholders like psychiatrists, psychologists and other organizations dealing with the welfare of the children to immediately conduct research to establish the root cause of the increase in cases of defilement.
The judges observed that sentencing such offenders to prison was not helping, as the number of cases of this nature are not decreasing. The minimum sentence is 14 years, while the maximum is life in prison.
Judges Gregory Phiri, Muyinda Wanki and Japhet Banda recently passed even higher sentences, ranging from 30 to 35 years. However, they complained that as long as the Defilement Act remains unchanged, children under the age of 16 will continue to be victims.
“The courts are not assisting the defiled children by sending the culprit to longer sentences without finding a solution that will lessen the increase of defilement cases. I feel we as judges need to have a different approach to discourage would-be offenders,” said Judge Banda.
Judge Banda said suspected child defilers should be examined or interviewed by police officers arresting them to establish whether they are using traditional herbs to stimulate their sexual desires. The problem, according to one traditional healer, is that men who have never used traditional herbs before cannot control themselves, and in the end they resort to having sex with children to relieve themselves.
In Zambia there are high levels of illiterate people who can easily believe that. It is difficult to convince them that what they were doing was actually just the result of false information.
Judge Banda said the situation has gotten so bad in Zambia that he has seen a 36 year old married man defile a girl of 6 years old, saying he could not control himself. Other men, polygamists, have come before him who have defiled their own daughters.
The judge also urged health personnel to conduct sensitization programs to educate the nation that the belief that sleeping with little girls or virgins can cure the HIV/AIDS scourge is totally false.
Dr Canisius Banda, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, commented that while it is terrible that Zambians have sex with small girls at all, for any reason, the worst outcome of this practice is that innocent children then become infected in turn.
And according to statistics complied by the Young Women’s Christian Association of Zambia (YWCA), one child is defiled every week. In most cases, the child is infected with a sexually transmitted disease, an indication that the culprit did what he did with a purpose of getting cured.
About the Author
Delphine Zulu is a Zambian journalist who has worked for The Times of Zambia newspaper for five years. For the last two years she has also contributed as a freelance writer to the online South African publication, Genderlinks.
It is ever so sad that the most vulnerable groups who cannot fend for themselves are at risk again. How stupid can you be at the age of 36 to believe that you can be cured of AIDS when you are already infected and you know about the disease? One can hardly believe that something like that is possible, but I think that this again is an excuse for paedofiles to put the blame on something or somebody else. African children are alredy deprived of so many things and have to face a life that is hardly worth of childhood. How are we ever going to remedy the situation for them? I just hope that the laws will be efficient enough to prosecute those who are now resorting to disgusting ways of relieveing their sexual lust. What next? Are they going to have children as Guinea pigs to do experiments on them? What can we do to help this from happening?
this is an absolutely depressing read.
What is being done about it? Is the UN there?
Very distressful story about the child in Zambia. Unfortunately this is the real life of this sufferer people. I have heard that in Zambia thi first night after the marriage the brride sleep with the father in law who should confirm that the bride is virgin. I’m not sure if it is true!
The question what to do and how to educate the poeple!
This is a very sad belief that is affecting HIV and AIDS interventions in most African countries where many people still believe in consulting traditional healers treatment and “spiritual guidance”. The problem is that when police arrest the perpetrators of these crimes they forget to go and arrest the traditional healer who has influenced these abusers. Then again,I agree that this has now become just another excuse for sex perverts.
Thanks for sharing Delphine.
Thanxs for all the comments concerning the my Zambian piece on defilement.
My response to the first comment on what is being done, is that judges here are the only best law enforcers who can assist together with non governmental organisations.
The beginning of passing stiffer punishments is a positive move on it’s own and it has so far send a powerful message to would be offenders. What we really need is the Government to come in and assist alleviate poverty amnong culprits- because they can not afford Antiretrovirals (ARVs).
Secondly: On the UN, It is being done under the UNICEF- but some of the convension on children’s rights are nor enforced. The agreements were signed but not in force. Yet to here from them also.
Thirdly: To be honest…I ve never heard about father in laws sleeping with their daughters in law to check their virginity. What I know is that on the night on the wedding day, traditionally and practical, grandmothers from both couples make a couple sleep in a secluded room while they wait for them to finish and check if there are blood stains on the white bedsheets provided to prove that she is a virgin.
Thank you so much.
itswrong 4 them 2 do that it just sickens my soo muuch that ppl can be so dumb at mind and at heart
Stop been crazy about HIV/AIDS matter you can be cured if you belief that God can heal you. All what you need to do is to accept Jesus as your Lord and savious then Call God in the name of Jesus to heal you and it shall be so only if you belief.
THIS IS SO STUPID.
HOW CAN PEOPLE THINK THAT HAVING SEX WITH A VIRGIN WILL CURE AIDS…
WHEN THERE ISNT A CURE FOR AIDS
HAVING SEX WITH A VIRGIN WILL JUST SPREAD THE DIEASE.
THESE PEOPLE ARE SELFISH AND BECAUSE THERE LIFE IS PRACTICALLY OVER, THEY FEEL THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO RUIN OTHER PEOPLES..
BUT WHEN ITS CHILDREN THATS BEING AFFECTED
ITS EVEN WORST
THESE MEN SHOULD BE STABBED, SKINNED ALIVE AND THEN THROWN INTO THE ZOO FOR LIONS AND SNAKES TO FEED ON..
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