By Chisomo Phiri
The trial of Dutch national Jan Willem Akster,who was arrested in 2021 for allegedly sodomizing boys who were beneficiaries of a bursary initiative is set to commence tomorrow Thursday at the Blantyre Magistrate Court.
Previously,Akster challenged Malawi’s laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, but the High Court dismissed his case.
Reacting to the news,renowned child rights activist Memory Chisenga expressed relief that the trial is finally underway, hoping that justice will be served.
“It is has been a long wait, but I am optimistic that Akster will face justice for the abuse and exploitation of the young boys,” she said.
In Malawi, same-sex relationships are criminalized under the country’s penal code.
The laws, which were inherited from the British colonial era, prohibit ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ and ‘gross indecency.’
Section 153 of the penal code states that anyone who has ‘carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature’ can be imprisoned for up to 14 years. Section 156 states that anyone who commits ‘gross indecency’ can be imprisoned for up to 5 years.
While there have been efforts to repeal these laws, they remain in place.
In 2012, the Malawian government announced that it would suspend the enforcement of the laws, but this decision was later reversed.
