Action Required To End SARV

The Special Parliamentary Committee on GBV has been active since its hearing in May drawing attention to the rise in GBV and a call for the government to address these issues.

It has become apparent that a growing concern in society is based around the rising cases in Sorcery Accusation Relation Violence (SARV). The statistics show that these numbers are not only in outlying villages but also now in bigger towns and cities.

Ruth Kissam of the Tribal Foundation told tragic stories of SARV cases in the Parliamentary hearing in May that had the committee flinch in disbelief of how such acts could occur.

She stated: “Any woman who is accused of sorcery are now having their children at risk of the same violence. Cases must be prosecuted to send a message that they cannot be targeted.”

Gary Bustin of Tribal Foundation said the violence played out is what one animal would do to another and that it is best to pursue the so-called witch doctors that are commercializing on the locals fear.

 Committee Chairman and Member for Alotau, Charles Abel, expressed that he is concerned about the rise in this particular issue as not much is being done to persecute these perpetrators and hold them accountable for these vicious crimes against humanity.

The NRI research have found that via their research, these ‘glasman and glasmeri’ can be charged under current laws for their offences as long as there is concrete evidence to prove that they aided and abetted or incited the crime in order to persecute them.

Abel said the report presented by the NRI is a necessary read for all Ministers and MPs in rectifying this issue and that with working together will help those in power to action necessary laws and their processes to stop SARV cases.   

He added that the issue of SARV cases will be tabled in the next Parliament sitting in August. 

Author: 
Carol Kidu