Accused witch burned alive in Papua New Guinea

mysticweed

WOW

this is the first "sorcery related" murder
IN A YEAR

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... inea?lite=

Assailants stripped, tortured and bound a woman accused of witchcraft, then burned her alive in front of hundreds of witnesses in a Papua New Guinea town, police said Friday after one of the highest profile sorcery-related murders in this South Pacific island nation.
Some of the hundreds of bystanders took photographs of Wednesday's brutal slaying. Grisly pictures were published on the front pages of the country's biggest circulating newspapers, The National and Post-Courier. The prime minister, police and diplomats condemned the killing.
Kepari Leniata, a 20-year-old who had a child, had been accused of sorcery by relatives of a 6-year-old boy who died in the hospital the day before, police spokesman Dominic Kakas said.

She was tortured with a hot iron rod, bound, doused in gasoline, then set alight on a pile of car tires and trash in the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mount Hagen, Kakas said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Kauba on Friday blasted Mount Hagen investigators by phone for failing to make a single arrest, Kakas said.

The public were apparently not cooperating with police and police carrying out the investigation were not working hard enough, Kakas said.
"He was very, very disappointed that there's been no arrest made as yet," Kakas said.
"The incident happened in broad daylight in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses and yet we haven't picked up any suspects yet. He was very, very curious about that and he blasted the investigators on the phone," Kakas added.
Kakas described the victim's husband as the "prime suspect." The husband had fled the province, Kakas said. Kakas said he did not know if there were a relationship between the husband and the dead boy's family.
Sorcery has traditionally been countered by sorcery in Papuan New Guinean culture. But responses to sorcery allegations have become increasingly violent in recent years.
Kakas said the death was the first sorcery-related murder in Papua New Guinea in a year.
Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga described the murder as "shocking and devilish."
"We are in the 21st century and this is totally unacceptable," Commissioner Kulunga said in a statement.
He suggested courts be established to deal with sorcery allegations, as an alternative to villagers dispensing justice.
Prime Minister Pete O'Neill said he had instructed police to use all available manpower to bring the killers to justice.
"It is reprehensible that women, the old and the weak in our society should be targeted for alleged sorcery or wrongs that they actually have nothing to do with," O'Neill said.
The U.S. Embassy in the national capital Port Moresby issued a statement calling for a sustained international partnership to enhance anti-gender-based violence laws throughout the Pacific.
The embassy of Australia, Papua New Guinea's colonial ruler until independence in 1975 and now its biggest foreign aid donor, said "We join ... all reasonable Papua New Guineans in looking forward to the perpetrators being brought to justice."

mikepegg44

mysticweed wrote:

WOW

this is the first "sorcery related" murder
IN A YEAR

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... inea?lite=

Assailants stripped, tortured and bound a woman accused of witchcraft, then burned her alive in front of hundreds of witnesses in a Papua New Guinea town, police said Friday after one of the highest profile sorcery-related murders in this South Pacific island nation.
Some of the hundreds of bystanders took photographs of Wednesday's brutal slaying. Grisly pictures were published on the front pages of the country's biggest circulating newspapers, The National and Post-Courier. The prime minister, police and diplomats condemned the killing.
Kepari Leniata, a 20-year-old who had a child, had been accused of sorcery by relatives of a 6-year-old boy who died in the hospital the day before, police spokesman Dominic Kakas said.

She was tortured with a hot iron rod, bound, doused in gasoline, then set alight on a pile of car tires and trash in the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mount Hagen, Kakas said.
Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Kauba on Friday blasted Mount Hagen investigators by phone for failing to make a single arrest, Kakas said.

The public were apparently not cooperating with police and police carrying out the investigation were not working hard enough, Kakas said.
"He was very, very disappointed that there's been no arrest made as yet," Kakas said.
"The incident happened in broad daylight in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses and yet we haven't picked up any suspects yet. He was very, very curious about that and he blasted the investigators on the phone," Kakas added.
Kakas described the victim's husband as the "prime suspect." The husband had fled the province, Kakas said. Kakas said he did not know if there were a relationship between the husband and the dead boy's family.
Sorcery has traditionally been countered by sorcery in Papuan New Guinean culture. But responses to sorcery allegations have become increasingly violent in recent years.
Kakas said the death was the first sorcery-related murder in Papua New Guinea in a year.
Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga described the murder as "shocking and devilish."
"We are in the 21st century and this is totally unacceptable," Commissioner Kulunga said in a statement.
He suggested courts be established to deal with sorcery allegations, as an alternative to villagers dispensing justice.
Prime Minister Pete O'Neill said he had instructed police to use all available manpower to bring the killers to justice.
"It is reprehensible that women, the old and the weak in our society should be targeted for alleged sorcery or wrongs that they actually have nothing to do with," O'Neill said.
The U.S. Embassy in the national capital Port Moresby issued a statement calling for a sustained international partnership to enhance anti-gender-based violence laws throughout the Pacific.
The embassy of Australia, Papua New Guinea's colonial ruler until independence in 1975 and now its biggest foreign aid donor, said "We join ... all reasonable Papua New Guineans in looking forward to the perpetrators being brought to justice."

Yikes,


don't they know they could have just seen if she weighed the same as a duck?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... kaU#t=146s

even flow - question mark

Wow! I wonder what kind of spell she used on that 6 year old.

Nothing like a good ole public lynching to stop the spread of witch craft. They still have lynchings in the south of the states?

Jason P

Papua New Guinea just got added to the list the includes the entire middle east, northern africa, and boston on places not to visit.

Bronx Bombers

Jason P wrote:

Papua New Guinea just got added to the list the includes the entire middle east, northern africa, and boston on places not to visit.

StillHere

WOW
remind me never to visit that place

JimmyV

Jason P wrote:

Papua New Guinea just got added to the list the includes the entire middle east, northern africa, and boston on places not to visit.

Even I laughed at this.

dancepartner

JimmyV wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Papua New Guinea just got added to the list the includes the entire middle east, northern africa, and boston on places not to visit.

Even I laughed at this.

This laugh did ease some of the sickness that has gripped me.
And we think we've arrived at such a civilized state. This is just sick. 100's of people standing around taking pictures, watching, doing nothing.

Byrnzie

I'd love to visit Papua New Guinea. Fascinating place.

Guitar92player

Someone needs to give that whole country, island, (or whatever the hell that place is exactly) a copy of The Crucible. :roll:

Staceb10

I've never understood this.. wouldn't an actual witch be able to escape?

catefrances

Jason P wrote:

Papua New Guinea just got added to the list the includes the entire middle east, northern africa, and boston on places not to visit.

why, are you a witch?

catefrances

Byrnzie wrote:

I'd love to visit Papua New Guinea. Fascinating place.

agree. its so close and so very diffferent. def like to walk the kokoda trail.

Cosmo

Staceb10 wrote:

I've never understood this.. wouldn't an actual witch be able to escape?

...
Actually... a witch would have survived the fire. She was found innocent because she burned to death.
Just like they used to do to the witches here. If they survived being dunked in the water for extended periods... they must be witches. If they drowned... they were humans. That makes the entire thing ridiculous... the innocent are murdered by their accusers... who hide behind justice to shelter them from their acts of evil.