Sorcery-Covid torture

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By MIRIAM ZARRIGA and LULU MARK
POLICE have rescued a woman and her daughter who were accused of practising sorcery and tortured for several days after her community health worker (CHW) husband is believed to have died from a coronovirus (Covid-19) infection.
Both mother, 45, and daughter, 19, had broken arms and burn marks and cuts on their arms, heads and bodies when police found them captive in a settlement called Bush Fire in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, on Tuesday.
EHP commander Supt Michael Welly told The National that a relative in Port Moresby alerted Goroka police after she was informed of the sorcery-induced torture by angry relatives.
He said the relatives were angered after the woman’s husband, from Goroka’s Fimito, died in hospital after he was suspected of being infected by the Covid-19.
He was a community health worker (CHW) at Lopi clinic.
Goroka Hospital doctors confirmed that both mother and daughter had tested positive for the Covid-19.
Supt Welly said the husband’s relatives, who held the woman and daughter captive and tortured them with hot iron rods for days, were on the run.
According to initial police investigations, the daughter was also taken to Marasin Bridge by the relatives and thrown into the river.
When they saw she was still alive, the relatives went down to the river and tried to kill her.
The daughter then pleaded for her life and told the relatives that she intentionally lied and admitted to sorcery.
The relatives then took the daughter back to the house to be interrogated when someone texted the relative in Port Moresby about the ordeal the mother and daughter were subjected to.
Supt Welly said police investigations were still in progress and advised the husband’s relatives to surrender.
“There is nowhere for them to run to or hide because we know who you are,” he said.
Goroka MP Aiye Tambua condemned the senseless torture of the woman and her daughter by villagers and settlers in Fimito.
“It is plain barbaric,” he said, adding that he had urged Supt Welly to seriously and fully investigate the crime.
He said the sorcery torturers must face the full brunt of the law for the crime and sorcery issues to be addressed.
Tambua extended his condolences to the family (mother and daughter) of the late CHW.
Meanwhile, on the Covid-19 situation in Goroka, Tambua said awareness were being carried out to urge the people to adhere strictly to the new normal public health protocols.
“This province needs vaccines for our front line workers and more test kits,” he said.
“I have spoken to the health minister (Jelta Wong) and he has assured that the vaccines and test kits would be sent as soon as possible.”

3 comments

  • Sorcery beliefs, traditions and values should be discouraged going forward for a spiritual and modern Papua New Guinea. Taking other people’s lives or putting them in great pains because of sorcery beliefs should be condemned strongly and culprits to face prosecution. Sorcery can not be scientifically proven that it is real. Deaths are caused by nature or carelessness only. For a safer and prosperous PNG. we need to sacrifice sorcery beliefs with Godly values and medical proof. God bless PNG.

  • Those who tortured the wife and her daughter should now walk confidently to the police station and present their evidences, the basis for torturing the two innocent women.

  • Police must apprehend those accused of torturing the mother and daughter and throw them in jail.
    This is 2021 and PNG shouldn’t be allowing this madness. Man die long sick ino long sorcery

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