Sorcery

Head of the Emergency Department, Dr. Sam Yockopua, confirmed that she was brought in and has been attended to.

Dr Yockopua said the elderly woman sustained scratches and minor cuts to her body after being dragged on the ground. She also suffered a knife wound to the head.

He said she received minor burns which are not life threatening.

The ER Head said the woman will remain at the hospital and receive treatment and psychological support.

She is expected to remain at the hospital until she is in a stable condition.

The attack on the woman, believed to be in her 60s, could have been fatal if it weren’t for quick police intervention.

Loop PNG arrived at the scene of the incident at an area known to settlers as ‘Swamp Side’ between the Gerehu to Nine-Mile Road.

It was at the Simbu Block that the incident took place where the victim, from Mul Village in Gumine, was attacked by men after being accused of practising sorcery by her female neighbour, who hails from Marawaka, Goroka, in Eastern Highlands Province.

Human rights judge, Justice David Cannings, said no person should be subjected to this sort of intimidation (sorcery-related violence) or terrible events that are being reported.

Sorcery is a criminal matter, but it can also be a civil matter under human rights.

Sir Peter Ipatas says: “This week alone there have been two more incidents of sanguma accusations in Enga Province and more than 20 innocent women, within the space of a month, have been victims of this accusation based violence, including a young child who was tortured near Sirunki.

“I condemn this violence and these false accusations. The accusations must stop now.

“The torturing and murdering must stop now. Enough is enough.”

Sir Peter says accusing someone of sorcery is against the law of PNG, including the torture and murder based on such accusations.

And now, they are targeting little girls.

Director of the Family Healing Foundation, Lydia Kailap, is joining the ever growing call for Government action following the recent brutal torture of a little girl in Enga Province amidst sorcery claims.

“I am trying to put together some form of peaceful protest during the PNG Games here in Kimbe,” Kailap tells Loop PNG.

This finding, from a researched conducted over 20 years, was presented yesterday during a public forum at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby.

Researchers Dr Fiona Hukula (National Research Institute) and Dr Miranda Forsyth (Australian National University) pointed out that in the majority of reported incidents, there were multiple victims and extreme violence was often involved.

But females and males were often harmed differently, with females more likely to be burnt and be raped.

The girl, thought to be six years old, had accompanied her father to Tukusanda village when rumours of sanguma started going around. And because her mother was the late Leniata Kepari, who was burnt alive in 2013 in Mt Hagen due to sorcery accusations, all eyes fell on the little girl.

“When the villagers learnt that she was Leniata’s daughter, they presumed that she may have possessed the sanguma spirit,” Enga’s acting provincial police commander, Epenes Nili, tells Loop PNG.

The study started in November 2016 and will run for the next three years, with 2017 being the first year of the release of findings.

Funded by the Papua New Guinean-Australia Partnership, the research is a partnership between academics at the Divine Word University (DWU), The National Research Institute (NRI) in PNG and the Australian National University (ANU).

A forum held today at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby was informed of the Sorcery National Action Plan (SNAP).

The incident on Tuesday came amid claims a woman in Maoro Village was a sorcerer and responsible for the sudden death of a local teacher.

RNZI reports 20 men from East Kwara'ae had demanded compensation and when this was not forthcoming police say they burned down the two traditional houses and looted the properties.

The men have since been arrested.

Photo file centralmalaita. blogpsot: Caption: Auki, the provincial capital of Malaita