US missionary brings tortured girl to safety

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
THE six-year-old girl accused of practising or possessing sorcery powers and tortured last month was rescued by Enga-based American Anton Lutz, who had travelled from Mt Hagen to Sirunki village in Enga to do so.
A Lutheran Church missionary, Lutz said he was fortunate to rescue her because at times he was not successful with such attempts in saving others.
He said he was determined to rescue the girl because of an encounter he had with the body of her late mum Leniata Kepari, who was tortured and burnt, in 2013.
“When I heard the news of the child being tortured, I had a personal interest in the case because I organised the burial for her late mother in 2013 who was also accused of sorcery and killed,” he said.
“Her body stayed in the morgue for eight months while there was a national haus krai no one bothered to check.
“I took the lead to organise the burial, there was just a small group of us, her family didn’t bother nor did her husband and his family.”
Lutz was in Hagen when he was told by phone of the incident. It took a three-hour bumpy ride to reach Sirunki. The child had sustained injuries from knives and heated metal objects used on her.
“I was interested in doing anything I could to help the child so I called the police first and reported the situation and they said that was the first they heard. I told them ‘ok, well, I’d like to go and find out about the situation, and they said that would be alright,” he said.
“I drove with two other people.
“During that time, I was communicating with the Health Department officials and finding about if they were able to join me and they said they were occupied with other things and that I should report back to them.
“When I arrived there at the village, I was able to speak to some of the leaders there and they showed me where the child was with the guardian.”
The family were then able to talk to the community but they were reluctant to release the child to Lutz
“The reason was they wanted to settle the matter among themselves and believed that it was not a big deal,” he said.
“This would be through presenting pigs to the family of the victims and would give no reason for police or anyone to intervene and take it to court. You think it’s a small thing but in the eyes of God, and in the eyes of the church and in the eyes of the country, it’s a very big deal.
“You have tortured a child for no reason and this case has to go to the national court. It can not stop at district court or provincial court. You can’t just give a pig and it goes away.
“It’s a national and international issue so for that reason, the police will be coming to this village. That’s part of their duties.”
After two hours of begging the community, the child was finally released.
“They surrendered the child in my care and I took the child with the guardian to hospital. She was in a fair condition given her wounds — not good condition. She did not require a helicopter or airlift. We could transport her safely and we did,” he said.
“After being treated, she has not returned to the village but to a safe location as the police investigation begins.”
Lutz’s father was a surgeon who served more than 23 years in Wapenamanda before passing away in 2010. His mother, a Lutheran missionary, left a year ago. Lutz did up to grade 12 in PNG, his Bachelor’s degree at university in the US then returned to PNG in 2014 as Lutheran missionary.