Advocate prioritises training on rights

AN advocate says more people need to be engaged in human rights training to protect sorcery accusation-related violence (Sarv) victims and conduct awareness in communities on the proper channel to address Sarv issues.
Friends International human rights defender Gibson Kakep said many people, especially in the Highlands, were not aware of human rights laws governing Sarv suspects and proper processes to address them than the usual “kill and torture them”.
“Only few people voluntarily advocate against this issue and make awareness,” he said.
“Most times our lives and those of our families are at risk.
“We are threatened to be killed, and move around with fear.”
Kakep said many people took sorcery practice as an income-earning opportunity and a force-factor to remove the suspects from their village and claim their land.
“If someone dies, they would hire people or ‘glasman’ with K1,000 and above, to find out the cause of the death,” he said.
“After they’ve identified the suspects, they would remove them from the area and claim their land.
“About 80 per cent of the suspects are women, who would flee with their daughters and get harassed and abused by strangers who housed them.”
Kakep said in his Southern Highlands Mereb-Pongal village in Mendi, since last year, there were about four women suspects who were not killed due to continuous community awareness he conducted every Sunday after church.
“I normally educate the people on justice served on those who accused and tortured suspects and their years of sentence as penalty using media published articles,” he said.
“People get to fear the law when justice is served over such issues.
“Many cases are unreported because people are scared of speaking up, for fear of losing their clan and tribe, and the suspects are killed without anyone knowing.
“Village Court magistrates, ward councillors and community leaders must be trained to address this issue.”