Sorcery killing ‘is murder’

THOSE who kill anyone on suspicion of practising sorcery are committing murder, says Northern Asst Comm Peter Guinness.
“The case of sorcery related killing in Wau on June 5 is murder and if evidence is strong, the court may sentence the accused person/s to life imprisonment or death,” he added.
He was responding to the killing of a man by a father and his son in Wau early this month after accusing him of causing their relative’s death through sorcery.
His body is yet to be found.
ACP Guinness said the Sorcery Act had been done away with and sorcery itself could not be proved in court – someone accused of committing sorcery to cause the death of another person.
“It is very difficult to prove sorcery in court and with no law, it means that sorcery killing is automatically murder,” he added.
“Sorcery should not be an excuse to kill another person.
“There is no law on that.”
He said what happened in Wau was wrong.
“They accused (a man) of practising sorcery but where is the evidence to prove their claim?” he said.
ACP Guinness said the only person who could determine the cause of a death to the court was a doctor and no one else – not a sorcerer or the so called “glassman”.
“They cannot testify in court,” he said.
“We should disregard this (sorcery) now and there has to be more awareness in communities.
“On the other hand, if people are caught with instruments of practising sorcery, then there may be an offence committed for being in possession of such materials.”