Witchcraft accusations today
Accusations of witchcraft that still lead to violence and killing, in parts of Africa, South Asia, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere.
Also: modern witch-hunts, witchcraft-related violence, child witches
The United Nations and human rights groups document killings, beatings and banishments tied to witchcraft accusations. Reports come from countries including Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, India, Nepal and Papua New Guinea, and in some places children and elderly women are most at risk. Researchers link accusations to illness, death, land and inheritance disputes and, in some cases, to preaching that names witchcraft as the cause. In Papua New Guinea, a young woman, Kepari Leniata, was burned in 2013, which brought national and international attention and led to the repeal of the Sorcery Act in 2013. Many states and groups now run education and legal programmes, and the topic remains an active area of human-rights work.