Horrifying footage has emerged showing four women
suspected of witchcraft being tortured, stripped, tied up and
burned by an angry mob in Papua New Guinea.
The women were accused of sorcery after a young man fell
ill in a village in Enga province in August.
Social media posts said the women were accused of
“invisibly” taking the man’s heart, and then putting it back
after they were tortured. In their attackers’ eyes this would
also prove their guilt as sorcerers.
In the footage, the women are being prodded and
threatened with machetes while being questioned by a
group of men.
According to the translation the women deny having done
anything, and plead with their attackers.
The woman begs: "My son, stop it!” says one woman, laying
on the ground.
“Talk out, where did you put it?” comes the reply. “Burn
her with the wire.”
“I’ve got nothing to do with it,” says another woman. “I am
a mother with five children.”
But the attackers ignore their pleas, with one saying: "Don't
just hit her, burn her."
It is thought at least one woman died after the ordeal but
there was no confirmation of that.
The video was initially shared on social media by students,
who, according to one source, did it to show they approved
of the torturers' actions.
The Guardian was told by two PNG sources the women were
accused of sorcery after a young man fell ill in a village in
Enga province in August.
Social media posts said the women were accused of
“invisibly” taking the man’s heart, and then putting it back
after they were tortured. In their attackers’ eyes this would
also prove their guilt as sorcerers.
“There’s no real way they can prove themselves
innocent,” one PNG source who has been involved in
rescues of victims of sorcery-related violence, told
Guardian Australia. “Once they’re suspected they’re
basically done for, they’ll be tortured and maybe killed as
well.”
It’s not police photos or anything of the crime being shared,”
said the source involved in rescues of victims.
“It’s actual participants who are there and actually
bragging about what they’re doing. It’s kind of like a Abu
Ghraib video or something.”
He said he was aware of many people sharing the video on
their smartphones, including high school students, and said
it wasn’t out of horror but rather approval for the actions
being taken against the four accused women.
“There’s no logic going on in the matter … To try to talk
logically, even to students, doesn’t really get you very far.
They say, we have evidence and you ask what kind of
evidence and they say it’s invisible evidence you can’t see
it,” he said.
“It’s hard to argue against that.”
"The PNG Government has approved a National Action
Plan against Sorcery Accusation Violence. Now it must be
implemented effectively and as soon as possible by
everyone concerned including police, the legal system,
health, education, NGOs, community leaders and the
churches."
The incident is just one of numerous acts of violence or
death related to accusations of sorcery. Anger is increasing
among Papua New Guineans as the attackers go
unpunished.
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