Sorcery action needs urgency

PORT MORESBY – The United Nations has condemned the latest incidents of sorcery-related violence in Papua New Guinea.

It has highlighted the brutal torture of two women in Southern Highlands Province last week and other cases reported by PNG media in recent days.

In a statement, the UN Country Team in PNG says these attacks violate a person’s fundamental rights to be treated with dignity and respect.

It also calls for urgent action by PNG authorities to provide protection as well as medical and psychosocial support services to victims subjected to violence due to accusations of sorcery.

The UN team says that over two years since the high-profile murder of Kepari Leniata in Mount Hagen, continued impunity for perpetrators of violence is a grave concern.

The UN special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Juan Mendez visited PNG in 2014.

According to many people interviewed by Mendez, an “accusation of sorcery may be motivated by considerations such as jealousy or greed – intended to get rid of outsiders, the elderly and the marginalized, often women.”

The UN has called for urgency in prioritsing efforts to address sorcery-related violence, especially with potential aggravating impacts caused by the current El Niño event.

PNG’s government is developing a Sorcery National Action Plan, which has been submitted to the National Executive Council for endorsement. It calls for urgent multi-sector action to end sorcery accusation-related violence.

The UN says it’s committed to supporting the government in these efforts, and will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to strengthen their capacity to address human rights violations.

The police commander in Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands says more needs to be done to stop sorcery beliefs, after police this week rescued three women from being tortured over sorcery accusations.

Inspector Mas Tuman says the women were accused of using witchcraft to kill a person who died of natural causes in a village near Mendi last week.

They were hunted down by some villagers and tortured with burning rods. Two managed to escape and police arrived in time to save the third.

Tuman says the first two women opted to return to their home villages for safety, but the third has chosen to return to the village, which he said police were powerless to stop.

Tuman said police were trying to conduct an awareness campaign about sorcery on local radio.