Women in danger after sorcery accusation

By REBECCA KUKU
A YOUNG mother of four and her mother in-law in Hela’s Wanakipa village have been accused of practising sorcery and need help.
Human rights defender Cathy Samson, who is also from Wanapika village, said yesterday that the young woman who married into a family at the Wanapika village was accused of teaching her mother-in-law black magic and turning her into a sorcerer like her.
Samson said the two were accused by another wife of the husband’s father.
“The mother of four is from a neighbouring village called Ambi and married a man from Wanakipa,” she said.
“Her husband is the first wife’s son.
“The person who accused them is the husband’s father’s second wife.
“She said a man saw the mother-in-law fall on the ground on their way back from the garden and that their daughter-in-law fell on-top of her and transferred some of her sorcery powers to the mother-in-law.
“There is so much tension there right now, and I fear that they will be attacked soon.”
Samson said she called the second wife and tried to talk with her to reason things out but there was only so much she could do as he was based in Enga.
“I have been fighting for the rights of SARV survivors and I can’t believe now it is happening in my village.
“My heart is aching for the young mother and her mother-in-law, we need prayers, we need support, basically, we need divine intervention, someone needs to address this before anything happens,” Samson said.