In late May 2007 five men in Zambia were given sentences ranging from 14 to 35 years in prison for raping young girls between the ages of nine and 14. Women activists described the sentences as “a milestone for justice”.

Sexual attacks on minors have been increasing in Zambia. One of the reasons is the common belief that intercourse with a virgin will cure HIV infection. Another is the widely held traditional belief that after the death of his wife a man needs to be sexually “cleansed” to avoid being haunted by her ghost.