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| PNG police examine torture of women accused of killing man with witchcraft | PNG police examine torture of women accused of killing man with witchcraft |
| (7 months later) | |
| Max stands in front of a crowd of villagers in Papua New Guinea’s highlands and recounts the tale of his own death. | Max stands in front of a crowd of villagers in Papua New Guinea’s highlands and recounts the tale of his own death. |
| He is defensive and uncomfortable as he is questioned on the events that led to the brutal torture of the four women accused of killing him. | He is defensive and uncomfortable as he is questioned on the events that led to the brutal torture of the four women accused of killing him. |
| The women were accused of “invisibly” taking his heart with sorcery, known in PNG as sanguma. One woman died and two were exiled when the villagers turned on them. | The women were accused of “invisibly” taking his heart with sorcery, known in PNG as sanguma. One woman died and two were exiled when the villagers turned on them. |
| “She came and ate my heart while I was still sitting in the house,” Max says in the translated video. “I felt so cold and shivering that I went and lay down at the doorway to the room. | “She came and ate my heart while I was still sitting in the house,” Max says in the translated video. “I felt so cold and shivering that I went and lay down at the doorway to the room. |
| “And I called out ‘Sande, Sande’ and passed out. That was the end. I died like any other dying person.” | “And I called out ‘Sande, Sande’ and passed out. That was the end. I died like any other dying person.” |
| Max says he is able to tell his remarkable story because the villagers forced the women to confess and return his heart, bringing him back to life. | Max says he is able to tell his remarkable story because the villagers forced the women to confess and return his heart, bringing him back to life. |
| Six hours later he woke up, he says, and the accused told him: “We accidentally took your heart but now we have returned it.” | Six hours later he woke up, he says, and the accused told him: “We accidentally took your heart but now we have returned it.” |
| In the midst of this talk of witchcraft, a mobile phone beeps in the background. | In the midst of this talk of witchcraft, a mobile phone beeps in the background. |
| The circumstances around Max’s “death” highlight the coexistence of the modern world with traditional beliefs in PNG. | The circumstances around Max’s “death” highlight the coexistence of the modern world with traditional beliefs in PNG. |
| In October Max appeared in a video that went viral in PNG, was shared on schoolchildren’s mobile phones and grabbed international attention. In it four women are tied up naked, beaten, burned and cut with machetes by villagers. Max, who appears in the video lying on the ground, later recovers and the torturers are praised for saving his life. | In October Max appeared in a video that went viral in PNG, was shared on schoolchildren’s mobile phones and grabbed international attention. In it four women are tied up naked, beaten, burned and cut with machetes by villagers. Max, who appears in the video lying on the ground, later recovers and the torturers are praised for saving his life. |
| Violence related to “sorcery” – almost always against women – is of increasing concern in a country with notoriously high levels of gender-based and family violence. | Violence related to “sorcery” – almost always against women – is of increasing concern in a country with notoriously high levels of gender-based and family violence. |
| A Catholic church-led conference late last year brought together more than 200 stakeholders to discuss sanguma and its related violence. It reportedly found the need for greater coordination between communities, government and authorities but also noted deep mistrust as an obstacle to progress. | A Catholic church-led conference late last year brought together more than 200 stakeholders to discuss sanguma and its related violence. It reportedly found the need for greater coordination between communities, government and authorities but also noted deep mistrust as an obstacle to progress. |
| It is thought sanguma beliefs are spreading beyond the highlands as more people travel for work and intermarry. The strength of superstition in PNG means groups largely work to stem the violence without dismissing people’s belief in sanguma. | It is thought sanguma beliefs are spreading beyond the highlands as more people travel for work and intermarry. The strength of superstition in PNG means groups largely work to stem the violence without dismissing people’s belief in sanguma. |
| The prime minister of PNG, Peter O’Neill, told the ABC in August a major issue was education in a “traditional and very superstitious society”, particularly in the remote and rural areas where the vast majority live. | The prime minister of PNG, Peter O’Neill, told the ABC in August a major issue was education in a “traditional and very superstitious society”, particularly in the remote and rural areas where the vast majority live. |
| “We don’t condone the behaviour, it is inhumane and it is unacceptable,” he said. | “We don’t condone the behaviour, it is inhumane and it is unacceptable,” he said. |
| He said every incident would be investigated fully and anyone accused would be arrested. A national action plan had been approved and legislation passed but just needed to be enforced. | He said every incident would be investigated fully and anyone accused would be arrested. A national action plan had been approved and legislation passed but just needed to be enforced. |
| A law that provided a defence to murder if it was done to “stop witchcraft” was only repealed in 2013. Sorcery-related killings are now punishable by death – something Amnesty International considers a frustrating backward step. | A law that provided a defence to murder if it was done to “stop witchcraft” was only repealed in 2013. Sorcery-related killings are now punishable by death – something Amnesty International considers a frustrating backward step. |
| Epenes Nili, a police commander for Enga province, together with other frontline responders, frequently rushes to rescue people accused of sanguma to convince villagers not to mete out their own brutal justice. But he has been held back by a lack of resources, manpower and meaningful government support. Often they are too late. | Epenes Nili, a police commander for Enga province, together with other frontline responders, frequently rushes to rescue people accused of sanguma to convince villagers not to mete out their own brutal justice. But he has been held back by a lack of resources, manpower and meaningful government support. Often they are too late. |
| Nili made two videos of his mission to the Enga province village – one of which is Max’s testimony – with the help of a Lutheran missionary, Anton Lutz. | Nili made two videos of his mission to the Enga province village – one of which is Max’s testimony – with the help of a Lutheran missionary, Anton Lutz. |
| “This is the police commander’s idea – to show the world we are trying to do something and that this is what we’re up against and this is how life is out here,” Lutz said. | “This is the police commander’s idea – to show the world we are trying to do something and that this is what we’re up against and this is how life is out here,” Lutz said. |
| “I’m hoping we’ll get more views as we go. I’m thinking we can put these things together and use them in schools to help keep kids’ interest as we try to show them there’s a bigger world out there and you don’t have to make up ideas and torture people.” | “I’m hoping we’ll get more views as we go. I’m thinking we can put these things together and use them in schools to help keep kids’ interest as we try to show them there’s a bigger world out there and you don’t have to make up ideas and torture people.” |
| In the second video, Nili stands by a bridge and introduces Max. | In the second video, Nili stands by a bridge and introduces Max. |
| “Somehow he came to life again,” Nili says, his hand on Max’s shoulder. | “Somehow he came to life again,” Nili says, his hand on Max’s shoulder. |
| “Whether he was pretend dead or was just lying there, or whether it was true, is all unknown at this stage but, because of that false belief, they seriously tortured the four ladies. | “Whether he was pretend dead or was just lying there, or whether it was true, is all unknown at this stage but, because of that false belief, they seriously tortured the four ladies. |
| “Just to save themselves [the women] admit, they say yes we did, yes we took out [his heart]. At the back of their mind they thought by falsely admitting they would save their lives.” | “Just to save themselves [the women] admit, they say yes we did, yes we took out [his heart]. At the back of their mind they thought by falsely admitting they would save their lives.” |
| After one woman died from her injuries and two others were exiled, Nili appealed to the community to surrender the people responsible. | After one woman died from her injuries and two others were exiled, Nili appealed to the community to surrender the people responsible. |
| “Today we send a strong warning to the community … that the kind of idea they try to make up to implicate especially females, it’s only evil,” he said. | “Today we send a strong warning to the community … that the kind of idea they try to make up to implicate especially females, it’s only evil,” he said. |
| “I strongly condemn this kind of action and I warn the people not to take the law into their own hands. Any suspected sorcery cases must be reported to police immediately. | “I strongly condemn this kind of action and I warn the people not to take the law into their own hands. Any suspected sorcery cases must be reported to police immediately. |
| “Maybe this will be the last kind of case of its kind.” | “Maybe this will be the last kind of case of its kind.” |
| But it is unlikely, as Max, like many others in PNG, holds firm beliefs in sanguma. | But it is unlikely, as Max, like many others in PNG, holds firm beliefs in sanguma. |
| In the six-and-a-half-minute video Max maintains his life was saved from witches. Defiantly he tells Nili to arrest him but to leave his relatives alone. | In the six-and-a-half-minute video Max maintains his life was saved from witches. Defiantly he tells Nili to arrest him but to leave his relatives alone. |
| “I came back to life because of my brothers, uncles and cousins, otherwise I would have died,” he says. “If you are here to arrest, you can arrest me. But not these people. I came back to life because of them.” | “I came back to life because of my brothers, uncles and cousins, otherwise I would have died,” he says. “If you are here to arrest, you can arrest me. But not these people. I came back to life because of them.” |