Sorcery accusation-related violence

She leads Voice for Change, a civil society organisation in Jiwaka Province committed to empowering and mobilising rural women to take leadership in addressing gender-based violence and increasing women’s economic empowerment.

To these women and other human rights defenders, she is a symbol of hope and salvation, advocating for displaced women and children offering her time to prevent and resolve conflicts.

The incident is like ‘scenes of 500 years ago’.

Amidst the shouting and the chanting, a woman boldly stands up to the evil and the hideous crowd.

“Stop the madness. Release the woman,” shouts the nun, Sr Lorena Jenal, who hurries to the village square.

The torturers beat the Swiss born missionary, who has lived and served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea for decades.

“Get out, otherwise we’ll burn you as a witch too!” they scream back.

Almost 50 leaders from 14 denominations in the Momase region have contributed to the development of a national church strategy to tackle sorcery accusation-related violence following a workshop in Lae by the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC).

CLRC Secretary Dr Eric Kwa has condemned sorcery accusation-related violence, saying it is usually directed against isolated and vulnerable people in the community, particularly women.