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Tanzania: Hiding from the butchers of Tanzania – African girl among hundreds seeking refuge from murderous witch doctors who target their body parts because they’re albino

A woman cradling her baby, a young girl playing with her mother on the grass and a group of friends smiling for the camera.

Innocent scenes they may be, but these Tanzanians are in grave danger from all walks of life from fishermen and miners to witch doctors and murderers simply because they are albino.

Regarded as the ‘tribe of ghosts’ or ‘the invisibles’, albinos have suffered appalling treatment at the hands of their own people who butcher them for their body parts in the disturbingly mistaken belief they will bring them better health and good fortune.

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UK: Witch doctor ‘told woman to have abortion after claiming unborn child was evil and seriously deformed’

A witch doctor persuaded a woman to have an abortion by claiming the unborn child was evil and seriously deformed, a fraud trial has heard.

Juliette D’Souza pretended to be a shaman who could cure terminal illnesses and help women conceive babies, it was said.

The phoney faith healer tricked the woman into parting with £170,000 after she became increasingly desperate to fall pregnant, the jury was told.

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Gabon: A man butchered and bled when still alive near Moulengui Bindza

The two men pierced the body of their victim with a knife and have his blood drawn when he was still alive. The bloody deed took place last week at Maraïvessa, a village near Moulengui-Bindza, in the region of Mongo (province of Nyanga, South of Gabon).

The battered body of the victim was found in a creek where the killers threw it to simulate drowning.

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Brazil: Did voodoo rumours on Facebook lead to a murder?

As in communities across the world, people in Guaruja, near Sao Paulo, often get their news fix from local Facebook pages rather than newspapers. Guaruja Alerta is one of the most popular, with more than 50,000 likes. But a series of posts on the page has now been blamed for a terrible murder.

On Saturday, Fabiane Maria de Jesus, a 33-year-old mother of two, was attacked by a mob using stones and heavy sticks and then – shockingly – lynched in broad daylight. This gruesome attack was filmed by people on their phones and posted online. De Jesus died from her injuries on Monday, and her lawyers allege that the Guaruja Alerta Facebook page was responsible for her killing.

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Kenya: Irate mob lynched family over magic

They were adjudged to be witches in the court of public opinion. No charge sheet was required or defence needed. The only punishment which could calm the angry neighbours was death.

Muthike Ndegwa (76), his wife, Muthoni Muthike(70) and their five children and  a grandson, had been slaughtered and their bodies set ablaze by the mob. When the killers came calling on the family at around 2am, they were determined that nobody would be allowed to escape. After all, every member of the homestead was guilty of ‘practicing witchcraft’.

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Lesotho: Two grannies butchered over witchcraft

A 24-year-old man of Boqate village in Ha-Mohasoa on Thursday allegedly stabbed to death two elderly women he accused of casting a spell on him. The women, aged 70 and 72, were stabled 14 and five times respectively, and died on the spot.

The District Commissioner of Maseru Urban Police, Senior Superintendent Mofokeng Kolo, on Friday told the Sunday Express the man had accused the women ofcausing his epileptic condition.

According to Senior Superintendent Kolo, the suspect, who was severely assaulted by local residents following the gruesome homicides, had since been charged with murder.

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Angola: Lunda Norte – Priest Concerned About Violence Against Elderly Persons

The high rate of violence against the elderly accused of witchcraft, which is ripe in northeastern Lunda Norte province, is worrying priest Colm Reidy who described the phenomenon as very unsettling.

Speaking to Angop, the priest stated that the matter of witchcraft in Lunda Norte has been on the Catholic Church agenda that is promoting a debate among the believers seeking to transmit to them good values that must be observed by the citizens to live in harmony.

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Tanzania: Chart Showing Killings due to witchcraft beliefs in Tanzania

This chart is based on data from police reports and compiled in the annual Tanzania Human Rights Reports, published by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC). The latest report, covering 2013, was published a couple of weeks ago.

The report explains how these killings often happen:

“people accused of practising witchcraft have been punished by mob justice which in many instances have led to killings of the accused persons. The most affected members of the society have been women, especially those of an old age.”

See the chart and read more here

UAE: ‘Fake doctors in UAE closer to witchcraft’

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has warned the public against practices of fake doctors who provide medical treatment without the approval of the authorities.

“The society has foreseen some malpractices by a group of fake doctors, who are not licensed by the UAE health authorities, and claim that they have the ability to provide treatment for difficult cases.

“Such claims are closer to magic and witchcraft,” said Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health and Licensing at the MOH.

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Zimbabwe: Man Kills Grandma Over Witchcraft, Flees

A Shamva mine worker is on the run after he allegedly killed his grandmother for “being a witch who cast evil spells” on him.

The 26 year old murder suspect, Luckmore Bhasi, allegedly struck the senior citizen’s head repeatedly with a hoe.

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