Posts by whrin_admin

Protect or Prosecute? Conjuring up Solutions to Witchcraft Accusations

Article written by the Human Rights Advocacy Centre. See here.

Religion, Democracy and Civil Society: The case of ‘witches’ in Ghana

This presentation highlights the plight of women accused of witchcraft and proposes measures which can be taken to safeguard their fundamental human rights. Read here.

Nigeria: Our stories

Radio by children accused of being witches. Click here

Witchcraft accusations: A protection concern for UNHCR and the Wider Humanitarian Community?

The following paper takes a broad look at the belief in witchcraft around the world, identifies key groups that are at risk of witchcraft accusations, outlines where witchcraft accusations may be most likely to occur, analyses the factors that lead to these becoming a protection concern and finally makes a number of recommendations for policy makers and practitioners working on this issue. See here

Ghana: Popular belief says children born ‘with deformities’ must be killed

Three-year old John the Baptist, who hails from Gnani, a community in the Yendi Municipality of the Northern Region, was born with a vein defect.At the age of two, John’s parents wrapped him in white cloths and left him beside a public refuse dump. His condition was bad because his neck and legs were fragile and could neither sit nor stand due to the vein defect.John’s situation was not different from four-year old Makpato whose parents decided to kill her due to her inability to talk at the age of three.

What John and Makpato passed through is unfortunately the ordeal many children who are born with defects are subjected to in communities such as Saboba, Wodando, Zabzugu, Tatale and Bimbilla. The common belief among some communities in the North is that children born with deformities are “spirit children” who are evil or a taboo to be sheltered and catered for. Read more here.

India: Hundreds killed over property every year

RANCHI: As property prices have shot up exorbitantly, land has become more valuable in Jharkhand than anything else. Even relation comes second. There have been a number of incidents where father has been killed by his sons for land and money. Many of the widows are branded witch by her relatives and killed for property. Almost one person is killed every day in the state in disputes over property. Surprisingly, Jharkhand reports more cases of killings than its neighboring states over such disputes. Read more here.

Chhattisgarh’s ‘witches’: maimed for life

When I think of that day, it still sends kind of shivers down my spine,” Teerath says. Then her tears silence her for a long moment. She bows her head and wipes her face with the end of her grimy sari. It all happened ten years ago, but it’s clear that the memory is still a visceral pain.

Radio show disccusing the victims of accusations of witchcraft. See here.

Kenya: In the Pink Corner – Will Witchcraft Come Into the 21st Century?

If you throw a stone into a random crowd in any part of Uganda, chances are you will hit someone who believes in witchcraft. And it does not matter whether the setting is the dusty taxi park or the parking lot of the spa at a Serena hotel – from all walks of life, this witchcraft business permeates our society, our behaviour and our thinking. It is the solution for all things and the excuse for a host of others. Read more here.

South Africa: ‘Satanic ritual’ trial postponed again.

Johannesburg – The trial of three men and a minor accused of killing a teenage girl in an alleged satanic ritual was postponed by the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Read more here.

India: Nephew kills woman branding her a witch

SURAT: A 55-year-old woman was branded a ‘witch’ and murdered by her nephew at Vagheshwar village of Mahuva taluka in Surat on Sunday night. The 35-year-old accused Arjun Halpati, who was arrested on Monday, told police that he could see spirits in her eyes. Read more here.