a well-known businessman dies and four women are murdered for witchcraft

Nine women are targeted for the sudden death of Jacob Luke during a walk in the woods. Four of them died, the others are receiving treatment at the hospital and at a Catholic health center. The violence also continued with the burning of houses. The auxiliary bishop Msgr. Ain went to the scene: “They tortured them and locked them in a house. It was terrible.”

Wabag () – Nine women accused of witchcraft and of causing the death of a well-known local businessman have been tortured. Four of them died, two remain hospitalized in critical condition and three were transferred to a Catholic health center. The incident occurred in Enga province, in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, following the news of the disappearance of Jacob Luke, a businessman and leader of his community in the town of Wabag.

Luke, who is also known nationally, was seen leaving his home on July 21. The businessman used to walk through the woods near the town. Only two days later members of the community found the body. It is likely that the man died of a stroke or heart attack, but this will be revealed by the autopsy, which will be carried out in the nearby city of Lae, his brother said.

After learning the news, some members of the town immediately attacked some women of the clan, accusing them of witchcraft (blood).

“As soon as I got the news, I picked up Dickson Tanda, the local Caritas coordinator, and we headed to Lakolam, the place where the violence was taking place,” said Wabag Auxiliary Bishop Justin Ain. “When we arrived, there was a large crowd of about three or four thousand people and the atmosphere was very tense. By then the women had been tortured and locked in a house. Attempts to persuade the community leaders were futile; those responsible They stood firm.”

The police tried to intervene but it was all in vain: “At one point, three or four police vehicles arrived,” continued the prelate, “but with very few men. The road was blocked by a truck and they asked the officers not to get close. Seeing that they were outnumbered, the police finally left.”

The women were released around 9 p.m., but no one knew where they had taken refuge. Bishop Ain wanted to take them to the hospital for medical attention, but the situation was complicated when members of Luke’s family set fire to the houses of the families of the women accused of witchcraft. There were no deaths but the houses were reduced to ashes.

On July 24, after the intervention of a provincial police command, the prelate was able to locate the victims. Only five women were still alive: “After talking to villagers and relatives, I put them in my car. They had been brutally tortured, with iron bars, on all parts of their bodies, including their genitals. It was terrible. I took them to the general hospital in Wabag: two are hospitalized in serious condition. As there were not enough beds, three were transferred to a Catholic health center in Yampu, where the nuns had prepared blankets and basic necessities”, Mons continued explaining. Ain.

The situation seems to have returned to normal, but the victims are still under observation. The women’s relatives confirm their innocence, saying they were tortured on the basis of false accusations. Unlike other cases, the perpetrators of the violence are not close relatives. For security reasons, their identities have not been revealed.