Couple saved from sorcery violence

By PISAI GUMAR
A woman accused of sorcery suffered serious  injuries from torture and assault and her husband was badly beaten before they were rescued by police.
They were rushed to Lae’s Angau Memorial Hospital early yesterday after the woman was dragged away from a “sacrificial” fire.
Elizabeth Nicholas, 40, from Asaro, Eastern Highlands and married to a Buang man in Bulolo, Morobe was accused of killing a woman from Southern Highlands through sorcery last week.
According to police, relatives of the deceased identified Nicholas as the person responsible for the death of the woman, kidnapped her, secured her hands and tortured her with hot iron and knives.
She was carried to the Bumbu River and set on two tyres, placed like she was ready to be sacrificed on a fire.
The incident occurred in the disaster-prone settlements beside the river at the junction of Garnet and Cormorant Streets along Cassowary Road.
Two police response units were alerted, they  intervened, dispersed the crowds and rescued the bloody woman and her husband.
Angau hospital’s accident and emergency doctor in-charge Alex Peawi confirmed receiving the victims.
Peawi said the woman was attacked and had severe injuries or burns from hot iron, fire and knives.
“We diagnosed and stabilised her condition, there is no life-threatening injuries now, she is in stable condition and will soon be discharged,” Peawi said.
She could have been murdered if police were not alerted and responded immediately.”
He said the husband was also stable.
“We have received many sorcery cases in Lae,” Peawi said.
Acting Metropolitan Superintendent Chief Inspector Timothy Pomoso said people should not resort to torture and killing of sorcery suspects.
“This is Lae city and people’s mindset should be civilised. There must be evidence to prove and killing other people is against the law,” Pomoso said.
“The suspect has relatives and what if the relatives retaliated. There would be another ethnic clash.”