Sorcery mob attacks have no place in civilised, modern societies
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Sorcery mob attacks have no place in civilised, modern societies
PORT MORESBY: Man is today living in a modern world 21st Century digital era of super hi-technology.
The majority globally claims to be more educated and civilised but can Papua New Guineans really proudly claim to be so?
Why then are Papua New Guineans still practising the stone age belief of torturing human beings based on unsubstantiated accusations that someone has died due to sorcery?
Why do sorcery-believers think it is their right to inflict torture and pain in the highest degree on another human being based on baseless accusations and rumours.
In 26 days, police in Lae had to twice rush to scenes of sorcery mob attacks to rescue three women from tortures, that lead to slow and painful deaths.
A frustrated Northern-End Asst Comm (ACP) Peter Guinness has condemned and appealed to Papua New Guineans to embrace civility, and to refrain from or stop all sorcery-related tortures, violence and killings.
He also called on the Government to enact a new Sorcery Act to stop such inhumane treatment of human beings.
PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below reports of the shameful and uncivilised practice of delivering sorcery mob justice as reported by The National:
Sorcery attack
By PISAI GUMARPOLICE rescued two women from the jaws of death in another sorcery-related violence and mob attack in Kamkumung’s Martha Block in Lae on Wednesday.
The women were in the midst of being tortured – slashed and burnt with iron rods – watched by a crowd of more than 500 people when Omili police moved in to save the women.
The mob had alleged that the two women practised sorcery and caused the death of a woman.
This is the second such sorcery-related violence and attack in Lae in 26 days.
On Jan 11, a bloodied Jacklyn Gabby, in her 30s, was rescued by Omili police in the nick of time after they were tipped off on the torture by a posting on Facebook.
Police rushed to the neighbouring Peter Block and plucked Gabby to safety.
Gabby was slashed and even survived an attempt to slash her throat. Police have to date arrested a man and his son in a dawn raid on the village on Jan 24, and are looking for more who participated in the torture.
In the Southern Highlands, police recovered three bodies – two women and a man – on Dec 31, Jan 4 and 5 in the banks of Mendi River.
They were believed to have been killed in sorcery executions in Karinz, the bodies dumped into the river and carried downstream to near Mendi town.
In the latest sorcery mob attack, both women were badly slashed and burnt.
One of them was pictured crawling to the safety of a police vehicle while the other woman, who was not so severely injured, made it into the van fast.
Omili police’s Sr Sgt Willie Wulat, Constable Elias Labi, policemen and a police dog unit team rushed to Martha Block where they quickly protected the two women from further torture and attack.
The attack was sparked after a woman from Southern Highlands’ Mendi collapsed and died at about 11am while doing her laundry.
That resulted in the sorcery accusations against the two women – a Southern Highlander and another from Goroka’s Nambaiyufa, Eastern Highlands.
Villagers then held the two women captive in the house of the woman who died.
The women were locked in separate rooms with their hands bound, tortured and interrogated.
Police said the two women were severely tortured.
The Southern Highlander woman had hot iron burnt her private part, an eye and right leg slashed multiple times.
“She was burnt on the legs and all over her body.
“She was all bloodied and in a serious condition.
“Both women were sent to the Angau Memorial Hospital,” PC Labi said.
“The husband of the dead woman knows me well and I have warned him not to retaliate. Instead, he returned and started burning down the houses of the alleged sorcerers based on rumours.
“I told him to be prepared as I am going for him to surrender and identify those involved in torturing the two women,” he added.
PC Labi said the Engan community involved in the torturing and burning down of the houses of the two women accused the papa graun (landlord) over the incident.
“We have arrested suspects on Wednesday and I am waiting for the two women to recover and give me full details.
“We will arrest all who tortured the women,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lae Met Supt Chief Insp Chris Kunyanban condemned the actions of assailants who acted on sorcery rumours.
“Such actions of torturing another human being is barbaric and inhumane, without respect to human dignity and the rule of law.
“Policemen at Omili Police Station are there to help people seeking assistance and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands.
“We cannot continue to tolerate or have such stone-age nuisance in Lae,” he said.
The women were in the midst of being tortured – slashed and burnt with iron rods – watched by a crowd of more than 500 people when Omili police moved in to save the women.
The mob had alleged that the two women practised sorcery and caused the death of a woman.
This is the second such sorcery-related violence and attack in Lae in 26 days.
On Jan 11, a bloodied Jacklyn Gabby, in her 30s, was rescued by Omili police in the nick of time after they were tipped off on the torture by a posting on Facebook.
Police rushed to the neighbouring Peter Block and plucked Gabby to safety.
Gabby was slashed and even survived an attempt to slash her throat. Police have to date arrested a man and his son in a dawn raid on the village on Jan 24, and are looking for more who participated in the torture.
In the Southern Highlands, police recovered three bodies – two women and a man – on Dec 31, Jan 4 and 5 in the banks of Mendi River.
They were believed to have been killed in sorcery executions in Karinz, the bodies dumped into the river and carried downstream to near Mendi town.
In the latest sorcery mob attack, both women were badly slashed and burnt.
One of them was pictured crawling to the safety of a police vehicle while the other woman, who was not so severely injured, made it into the van fast.
Omili police’s Sr Sgt Willie Wulat, Constable Elias Labi, policemen and a police dog unit team rushed to Martha Block where they quickly protected the two women from further torture and attack.
The attack was sparked after a woman from Southern Highlands’ Mendi collapsed and died at about 11am while doing her laundry.
That resulted in the sorcery accusations against the two women – a Southern Highlander and another from Goroka’s Nambaiyufa, Eastern Highlands.
Villagers then held the two women captive in the house of the woman who died.
The women were locked in separate rooms with their hands bound, tortured and interrogated.
Police said the two women were severely tortured.
The Southern Highlander woman had hot iron burnt her private part, an eye and right leg slashed multiple times.
“She was burnt on the legs and all over her body.
“She was all bloodied and in a serious condition.
“Both women were sent to the Angau Memorial Hospital,” PC Labi said.
“The husband of the dead woman knows me well and I have warned him not to retaliate. Instead, he returned and started burning down the houses of the alleged sorcerers based on rumours.
“I told him to be prepared as I am going for him to surrender and identify those involved in torturing the two women,” he added.
PC Labi said the Engan community involved in the torturing and burning down of the houses of the two women accused the papa graun (landlord) over the incident.
“We have arrested suspects on Wednesday and I am waiting for the two women to recover and give me full details.
“We will arrest all who tortured the women,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lae Met Supt Chief Insp Chris Kunyanban condemned the actions of assailants who acted on sorcery rumours.
“Such actions of torturing another human being is barbaric and inhumane, without respect to human dignity and the rule of law.
“Policemen at Omili Police Station are there to help people seeking assistance and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands.
“We cannot continue to tolerate or have such stone-age nuisance in Lae,” he said.
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