Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children

Violence Against Children Accused of Witchcraft, by Marta Santos Pais.

The growing reality of children being accused of witchcraft reveals a serious pattern of discrimination, social exclusion, violence, abandonment and sometimes even murder of innocent children. Vulnerable children, such as those with disabilities, children with albinism, children without parental care as well as specially gifted children, are often the target of witchcraft accusations. Beyond branding a child as a witch, in itself a form of psychological violence, these accusations often lead to physical attacks against these children and other extreme human rights violations.

Read the full statement here