Woman calls for tougher action against sorcery killings

TOUGH measures must be taken to address issues surrounding sorcery accusation related violence (Sarv), a representative says.
Kerema development authority women representative Cecilia Sembo made this statement following a recent barbaric act where an elderly woman was hacked to death over alleged sorcery accusations in Kaintiba.
“Almost all illnesses and deaths in this part of the province (Kaintiba) are explained by way of sorcery and we live in a society where this is an unbecoming belief and should be addressed thoroughly,” she said.
Sembo said women were vulnerable when accused over such acts that led to torture and death.
“Our society is becoming cruel, the most unimaginable act is of sons torturing or killing their mothers and sisters, these are broad daylight realities we face and it has to stop,” she said.
She said such beliefs should be taken away from health workers when treating patients.
“When certified clinical test results are negative, patients are told or made to believe in a phenomena called ‘sik bilong ples’ and this reference too must be clarified, our health centres must discontinue to promote such shift towards sorcery beliefs as well.”