Superstition Blamed for Rise in Malawi Rape Cases


Malawi police have announced that recorded cases of rape in the country have more than doubled since 2018, with young girls as the main victims.  Law enforcement authorities blame superstitious beliefs that defiling a minor brings luck or wealth for the rise in rape and sexual assault.  But clinical psychologists say mental health is more to blame. 

Spokesperson for Malawi Police Service James Kadadzera expressed particular concern over the substantial rise in cases of rape against minors compared to cases involving adults.

“As far as rape is concerned, in 2020 though we are remaining with December to wrap up the year, we have already registered 423 cases. However, statistics to do with defilement [are] very alarming. In 2020, though we are not yet done with December, we have already registered 1,738 cases,” Kadadzera said.

Local media in Malawi have recently been awash with news on rape, incest and defilement.  

Figures from the National Statistics Office show that for the last three months of this year alone, the rate of sexual abuse cases has been 35% higher than the same period last year.

This forced Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera last week to announce strict measures against perpetrators.

In a recent incident, police arrested a 31-year-old man in Zomba district accused of raping a five-month-old baby on November 25.

This came a few weeks after police in Blantyre arrested a man for allegedly raping a two-year-old female child, killing her and dumping her body in a black plastic bag.

Kadadzera said police investigations have revealed that more men sleep with minors largely because of superstitions that if one sleeps with a minor that person would get cured from chronic disease, get rich or promoted at work.

— VOA

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