Sanguma
A Papua New Guinean word for sorcery believed to kill, and a name at the centre of accusation violence.
Also: sanguma, sorcery accusation violence, glasman
In parts of Papua New Guinea, in Tok Pisin and local languages, sanguma refers to a feared form of sorcery believed to kill, and to those said to practise it. Details differ across regions and language groups: in some places it is a killer who attacks by stealth, in others a spell. Many Papua New Guineans hold that deaths do not simply occur but are caused by someone, so an unexplained death can lead to an accusation. Women, widows and the poor are common targets, and accusations have led to torture, burning and killing. In 2013 a young woman, Kepari Leniata, was burned in Mount Hagen, and the government repealed its Sorcery Act and introduced the death penalty for murder tied to sorcery accusations. Church and community groups work against the violence.