Missionary welcomes rule of law

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
AN AMERICAN Lutheran missionary who advocates against sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) wants human rights of perpetrators sentenced by courts to be respected.
Anton Lutz welcomed a recent court decision to sentence to life two man found guilty of accusing a woman of practising sorcery and killing her.
“If that is the law, then that is the law,” he said.
“I would expect that their human rights be respected there as well, and that they would not be subjected to inhuman treatment, starvation or torture.
“They will sooner or later understand what they have done is wrong.
“Hopefully they will use the years ahead to speak out and tell the rest of Papua New Guinea how wrong they were, and why it is never right to accuse, assault and murder another human being,” Lutz said.
“When these men acted on their non-Christian beliefs and murdered the Papua New Guineans they falsely accused, no doubt, they thought they were doing the right thing.
“We have laws in place to protect the weak and vulnerable.
“It is up to all of us to fall in line and uphold each other’s human rights or face the lawful consequences.”
Deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Special Committee on gender-based violence and sorcery accusation-related violence, Allen Bird said: “The victims have been crying out for justice for too long.
“I applaud the judiciary for setting high standards on this very serious crime.”