Sorcery attack

The National Main Stories
The severely tortured and injured Southern Highlander woman using a stick to help herself to the safety of a police vehicle.

By PISAI GUMAR
POLICE rescued two women from the jaws of death in another sorcery-related violence and mob attack in Kamkumung’s Martha Block in Lae on Wednesday.
The women were in the midst of being tortured – slashed and burnt with iron rods – watched by a crowd of more than 500 people when Omili police moved in to save the women.
The mob had alleged that the two women practised sorcery and caused the death of a woman.
This is the second such sorcery-related violence and attack in Lae in 26 days.
On Jan 11, a bloodied Jacklyn Gabby, in her 30s, was rescued by Omili police in the nick of time after they were tipped off on the torture by a posting on Facebook.
Police rushed to the neighbouring Peter Block and plucked Gabby to safety.
Gabby was slashed and even survived an attempt to slash her throat. Police have to date arrested a man and his son in a dawn raid on the village on Jan 24, and are looking for more who participated in the torture.
In the Southern Highlands, police recovered three bodies – two women and a man – on Dec 31, Jan 4 and 5 in the banks of Mendi River.
They were believed to have been killed in sorcery executions in Karinz, the bodies dumped into the river and carried downstream to near Mendi town.
In the latest sorcery mob attack, both women were badly slashed and burnt.
One of them was pictured crawling to the safety of a police vehicle while the other woman, who was not so severely injured, made it into the van fast.
Omili police’s Sr Sgt Willie Wulat, Constable Elias Labi, policemen and a police dog unit team rushed to Martha Block where they quickly protected the two women from further torture and attack.
The attack was sparked after a woman from Southern Highlands’ Mendi collapsed and died at about 11am while doing her laundry.
That resulted in the sorcery accusations against the two women – a Southern Highlander and another from Goroka’s Nambaiyufa, Eastern Highlands.
Villagers then held the two women captive in the house of the woman who died.
The women were locked in separate rooms with their hands bound, tortured and interrogated.
Police said the two women were severely tortured.
The Southern Highlander woman had hot iron burnt her private part, an eye and right leg slashed multiple times.
“She was burnt on the legs and all over her body.
“She was all bloodied and in a serious condition.
“Both women were sent to the Angau Memorial Hospital,” PC Labi said.
“The husband of the dead woman knows me well and I have warned him not to retaliate. Instead, he returned and started burning down the houses of the alleged sorcerers based on rumours.
“I told him to be prepared as I am going for him to surrender and identify those involved in torturing the two women,” he added.
PC Labi said the Engan community involved in the torturing and burning down of the houses of the two women accused the papa graun (landlord) over the incident.
“We have arrested suspects on Wednesday and I am waiting for the two women to recover and give me full details.
“We will arrest all who tortured the women,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lae Met Supt Chief Insp Chris Kunyanban condemned the actions of assailants who acted on sorcery rumours.
“Such actions of torturing another human being is barbaric and inhumane, without respect to human dignity and the rule of law.
“Policemen at Omili Police Station are there to help people seeking assistance and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands.
“We cannot continue to tolerate or have such stone-age nuisance in Lae,” he said.

13 comments

  • This is totally wrong.
    I have nothing much to say because no words can express how I feel for these two women not only as a woman myself but a human being.
    The Government have to act NOW! and do something about it.
    These two women are mothers and sisters of other human beings. This will definitely have ripple effects. My goodness I am speechless and I cannot believe this.
    The men and women behind this have to be brought to justice – this is attempt MURDER.

    Please how can we help them? Can they be repatriated to Port Moresby for better access to support services?

  • Never and never in PNG and Melanesian tradition. This is an introduced insanity. The work of psychiatric patients. At this age, these worms can not rationalize belief. National Government and the Police Minister, this is madness!!!!

  • The province and people whose descendants practiced it for years and have records in the history of PNG is the Milne Bay Province. Today, as civilized and educated Papua New Guineans, do you read in newspapers, see from TV and FB now of torturing and killing in the Milne Bay Province on sorcery??? There is rational in believes! This is complete insane!!! Report it to the Police to deal with it.

  • Animal Brains Papua New Guineans , taking serious actions as if we are in the 15th or 16th Century ..What a Shame

  • The Government needs to impose the death penalty bill in Parliament over inhuman treatment on such babatic and nonsense killings. I don’t beleave png is a Christian country because this inhuman treatment has already exposed png forthe whole world to see and also hear and already heard us. Just don’t tell the world that we are a Christian country anymore. What a shame

  • This is babaric and insane.
    The accusers must be held accountable as only sorcerer can accuse another sorcerer.

  • This is insane. At this age this is unimaginable. How can a roody hooligan mob attack innocent women without any substantial evidence. We need to have some act/law on how such cases and suspicious can be handled in a more human way instead of torture and barbaric actions as such. The government and the office of the Attorney General should come in and act fast. The glassman or who ever is paid to point accusing fingers at people should be held responsible together with those who hire them. Glassman and woman are mere money makers who claim to have some extraordinary powers to see sorcerers or sangumas. They should also be questioned on where they get these powers and authority to do so. Some claim that they are licenced. Who licenced them? Glassman and their clients should held responsible for the aftermath of their deals.

  • Journalists for the safety of victims like these two women, do not realise names or picture’s of faces as you could put them in further harm in the community where eventually they will return. My heart breaks. PNG we are peaceful and loving people! God guide us.

  • Religion (including Christianity) promotes the belief in unseen good and evil powers. PNG is called a christian country and it will be extremely difficult to convince people that there is no Sanguma or witchcraft. I don’t think punishment will be a deterrent either. Education is probably the key in the long run.

  • Though it is not human to attack people based on sorcery claim , The sorcery is real! Women are attacked mostly because they are not strong. Many of the accusations against women on sorcery are real. I have witnessed couple of women being tortured for sorcery and they testified committing the act of killing by witchcraft. I think, in my opinion, these poor ladies come into contact with demons and the demons get in possession of them. They can reveal their secrets only when tortured. The govt should provide some form of protection by isolating this kind of people so they are not in their own communities and be a threat to their people too.

    • If sorcery is real, why can’t we use it to win a rugby league test against the Australian Kangaroos?

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