Church groups are among organisations saying they will mount a rescue after four people were accused of sorcery in a Papua New Guinea village. The four were accused of witchcraft and allegedly tortured in the village of Kaiwe, following recent deaths in the community. Human rights defenders, church groups and police were preparing to stage Read more
While the PNG government has made some efforts, the work to combat sorcery related violence is often left to church groups and NGOs says associate professor Richard Eves, from the state society and governance in Melanesia program at ANU. A recent intervention preventing the murder of four women accused of sorcery is being hailed as a Read more
Witch hunts have been condemned by the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Arnold Orowae. “I encourage all our citizens not to get into this bad habit of accusing innocent and defenceless people of sorcery, resulting in torturing and killing,” said Bishop Arnold Orowae. “This is a moral Read more
Christianity is strong in the region of Melanesia and the church could play a role in influencing people and combatting the belief in witchcraft says Cassaundra Rangip, co-founder of an anti-witchcraft non-government organisation in Papua New Guinea. She says a recent case of witchcraft related hangings in Vanuatu had raised fears that the phenomenon had Read more
The Vanuatu Christian Council has condemned the hanging of two suspected sorcerers on the island of Akaham in South Malekula. The general secretary of the Council, Shem Temar, told Radio Australia International that pastors are supposed to promote Christian values which includes respect for human life. He said more information was needed before he could comment Read more
Police have arrested suspects on the island of Akaham in South Malekula in Vanuatu following the killing of two people over allegations of sorcery and witchcraft. Those arrested include church pastors and customary chiefs. According to the Daily Post, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, John Taleo, has described the killings as brutal and unlawful murders. Read more
The Catholic Church has long been fighting sorcery in Papua New Guinea. An Auckland academic says the real issue with violence against women in Papua New Guinea is not sorcery, but gender inequality. Evangelina Papoutsaki says unequal gender relations which are the result of the post-colonial times and Christianity, are being used to justify violence against Read more
The Solomon Islands Law Reform Commission (SILRC) conducted a one day sorcery consultation for church leaders around Honiara at the St Barnabas Cathedral last week. The sorcery offence workshop is part of the on-going review of the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code. The aim of the consultation was to have church leaders have their Read more
In an unprecedented move the Catholic Bishops of the Papua New Guinea Highlands Region have made a strong attack on sorcery refuting in particular the deeply entrenched traditional belief of sanguma, based on which human death is allegedly caused by sorcerers. This leads to persecution and killing of innocent people conveniently identified with the weakest Read more
Fr Philip Gibbs says that one of the factors that gives rise to sorcery is that people often don’t understand the basic science behind a person’s health. He was speaking at the Sorcery and witchcraft-related killings in Melanesia: Culture, law and human rights perspectives Conference at The Australian National University in Canberra, last week. The conference was attended Read more