Church leaders involved in sorcery-related killing

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Police in the Papua New Guinea Highlands say they want to speak to a group of church pastors in relation to an incident of torture and murder of a woman accused of sorcery.

The Provincial Police Commander of Enga province, acting Superintendent George Kakas, says the nine, from Kombiam district, should step down from pastoral duties and surrender themselves to police for questioning.

He says if they fail to do so, police will be dispatched to arrest them.

The newspaper, The National, reports there was an allegation the pastors signed an agreement with 50 other leaders on behalf of their Poroyalin tribe last month to torture and kill the elderly woman, who had been accused of killing a 20-year-old man through sorcery.

Police Commander Kakas, who said he had seen the agreement, said instead of protecting the woman, the nine allegedly conspired to have her killed.

He also urged village court officials, councillors and village leaders to uphold the law and stop people from carrying out “evil acts”. - RNZI