Woman tortured
The National, Monday July 6th, 2015
A WOMAN from Chimbu was tortured and slashed with bush knives in Madang on Saturday after her relatives suspected her of practising witchcraft.
The tortured woman identified herself as Baby Nebare, 45 and from Goi village in the Nemane-Karamui area in Chimbu.
Nebare said she had seven children and left them with her husband at home to go to Madang to buy betel nuts to sell in Chimbu.
A relative, Robert Bomai, said Nebare purposely went to Madang to kill him over issues related to land ownership. Two other women allegedly conspired with Nebare.
Bomai said he found out about the woman’s intention through a dream he had last Wednesday.
He said it was known in Chimbu that women practicing witchcraft targeted people on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th of each month.
He claimed he was to be killed on July 14. Bomai said he questioned Nebare about her intention but Nebare denied it.
He said she admitted it when other relatives at the Baglau settlement gathered and threatened to kill her.
“I am not a sanguma (witch), I falsely admitted I am one because they wanted to kill me, they will kill me if I don’t admit,” Nebare said.
Bomai’s male relatives slashed Nebare with bush knives and beat her with sticks.