Man, 62, accused of sorcery nearly killed

By MICHELLE AUAMOROMORO
POLICE say a 62-year-old man in Gulf was assaulted last weekend at Koravake village in Baimuru after being accused of sorcery.
Sgt Hape Pipi of the Baimuru police station said Vai’i Kairi was accused of being behind the death of a young woman on Saturday after being sick for two weeks.
Pipi said before the woman died, her uncles and brothers took her to Kairi’s house and accused him of being the sorcerer behind her illness.
They ordered him to heal her immediately.
When Kairi denied the accusation, the woman’s relatives told him that they would return after three days if she did not recover.
But she died in the evening.
And Kairi after hearing it, fled into the bush to hide.
Two of the woman’s brothers went after him.
“They caught Kairi and hit his left leg with a bush knife,” Pipi said. “When he fell, they tried to spear him.
“Kairi used his left arm to block the spear which injured him.”
Kairi is recovering at the Kapuna Rural Hospital.
One of the two brothers has been charged with attempted murder.
He will be transferred to Kerema later.