Four women, 13 children at risk of murder in PNG after being accused of witchcraft, missionary says

A group of four women, along with their 13 children and grandchildren, are at risk of being murdered in Papua New Guinea after being accused of witchcraft, a missionary says. Anton Lutz, a Lutheran missionary in PNG's Highlands, told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat that while details are still coming in, the church, government and NGOs were trying to see if they coud help.

He said a "witch-hunter" pointed them out when villagers were investigating a measles outbreak that has killed several people. "A witch-hunter, as it were, travelled from a village called Wanakipa ... to the place where these women were and to identify them," he explained.

He said their lives were in serious danger. "This is happening in the Hewa language [group], which extends between the northern part of Hela province and the western part of Enga province," Reverend Lutz said. "It's a very large group and they are well known for murdering women."

'Over 20 accused witches killed in recent years' Reverend Lutz said he knew of at least 25 women killed over the past 10 years after being accused of sorcery in the western part of the Hewa language group, with no arrests being made.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/25860080/four-women-13-children-at-risk-of-murder-in-png-after-being-accused-of-witchcraft-missionary-says/