Every now and then these days there is a Sorcery killing's in PNG.
Some poor innocent female is accused of sorcery because someone died of other causes and the locals go for pay back.
Eight sentenced to death, 88 get life in prison over PNG sorcery murdersPacific Beat /
By
Catherine GrauePosted Thu 26 Jul 2018 at 2:52pmThursday 26 Jul 2018 at 2:52pm
Some of the dozens of accused are remanded in custody last year.(ABC)
Eight men have been sentenced to death in Papua New Guinea for their involvement in the brutal killing of seven people, including two children, who they thought were conducting sorcery.
Key points:- Group of 97 were found guilty of murdering seven people
- Community concern over use of death penalty
- PNG is struggling to deal with continuing cases of sorcery-related violence
The men were among 97 found guilty in February of murdering five men and two boys, aged three and five, by slashing them with machetes.
They were part of
a group of about 180 men and youths who had marched to a nearby village in PNG's Madang Province, searching for people they claimed had committed sorcery.
Of the remaining 89 men, one died recently while the other 88 were sentenced to life in prison.
Local Madang MP Bryan Kramer said the decision by PNG National Court judge David Cannings to impose the death penalty was intended to send a strong message.
"Justice Cannings is a renowned human rights advocate so it was, to some degree, some surprise that he'd given down this decision," Mr Kramer told the ABC's Pacific Beat program.
"But given the viciousness of this crime, I'm probably of the view that he did so with a basis of making a statement, to those involved in such heinous crimes, where innocent children were killed."
Professor Philip Gibbs, who is a priest lecturing at PNG's Catholic Divine Word University and has researched sorcery-related violence, said he was also surprised by the judgement.
"I would hope that it would have some deterrent effect," he said.
