18 charged with attempted murder

A TOTAL of 18 people have been arrested by Enga police for alleged sorcery-related attacks on two women by Enga police following the death of a girl on July 9.
Police made mass arrests of the suspects, when the dead girl’s relatives began torturing two women as a revenge.
The incident of revenge torture occurred last Tuesday at Polipos village, Lower Lai, Wapenamanda.
The two women (victims) were held captive and tortured by relatives of the deceased girl.
Police alleged that the Itokon tribesmen and the entire community at the village had accused the two of practising sorcery and witchcraft, causing the death of the girl.
The suspects and other villagers placed the victims’ naked at a community market and continuously beat and tortured them with hot iron rods and bush knives ,with the intent to kill them.
Two attempts by police to rescue the two women were blocked by suspects and the community who turned aggressive and violent.
Provincial police commander Chief Supt Joseph Tondop condemned the actions of the villagers and threatened to move in with greater force.
Police conducted a dawn raid and apprehend the suspects and saved the two women; the suspects had been detained at Wabag police station.
Tondop said the suspects had been charged with attempted murder.
“There is no excuse for torturing another person accused of causing the death of another person through sorcery in this time and age,” Tondop said.
“I’m now appealing to the victims to report such matters to police and the law can address them instead of people taking the law into their own hands.”
Tondop warned that any obstruction or use of force or intimidation against the police when discharging their duty would be met with drastic measures including mass arrests.
He said law enforcement would use force if necessary to save lives.
The two victims are in a critical condition at Wabag General Hospital.