United States Ambassador Walter North is in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province attending a sorcery-related violence forum and to recognize the “many courageous heroes’’ who raise their voices to challenge sorcery violence.
The forum held today is an initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Mendi to discuss ways to overcome sorcery and witchcraft related violence in Papua New Guinea with important stakeholders.
The forum is being held in light of the recent sorcery related violence that has taken place particularly against women in Mendi.
The United States has come out clearly against sorcery related violence.
Earlier the Embassy called on the provincial police authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the senseless acts of brutal violence inflicted on three women and one man in Mendi and for the appropriate resources and attention to be dedicated to addressing these crimes.