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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