Bishop makes strong statement against Sanguma accusations

Bishop thanks PPC of Wabag for saving women accused of sorcery

Last Saturday, December 1st, some courageous policemen in Enga province saved three elderly women  from being tortured and probably burnt because of sanguma accusations.

The three women from Teremanda village, had been accused of killing a man by taking his heart through sorcery. They were tied and beaten, and the villager’s were asking them to give the man’s heart back. One of the relatives of the women called the police in Wabag and a mobile squad of three cars led by Inspector Epenes Nili came into the village and rescued the women. However, things did not finish here: the villagers confronted the police and blocked the road, asking for the police to give them the women back. For hours the police stood strong and, facing the crowd, refused to release the women.  Finally, the villagers gave up, handed over the corpse of the man and allowed the police to leave with the women.

Superintendent George Kakas, claimed that, traditionally, Engans did not hold sorcery beliefs and that these recent cases of sorcery related violence respond to an introduced ideology. He strongly defended that killing somebody on sorcery related belief entails a murder charge and, consequently, the penalty of death.

It is encouraging to see the police standing up in order to protect people’s lives, even if that requires to risk their own safety. The behaviour of these policemen should be taken as an example to be followed and a reminder that if each one acts according to the right principles of law and respect, innocent lives can be saved.

Today, 9th of December, Bishop Arnold Orowae, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, highlighted the admirable behaviour of the Wabag policemen and expressed the strong stand of the Catholic Church against Sanguma or Sorcery related accusations. His full statement is below:

On behalf of the Catholic Church in Enga Province and Papua New Guinea I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your policemen. You confronted the people of Teremanda int he Enga Province and saved 3 defenseless women who were accused of sorcery or sanguma. You have rightly mentioned on December 1st Post Courier that the people of Enga knew no Sanguma or nor did they practice sorcery before. Where does this come from? It is either pure jealousy, or it is used as a means to accuse people for revenge. People are still ignorant and would not want to accept that people can die any time through sickness or damage done to their body. Even healthy people can die of sicknesses. The best place to seek an answer is from a postmortem at the hospital.

There are evidential reports from many parts of Papua New Guinea of sorcery or sanguma related accusations, tortures and killings. The accused are often women who are vulnerable and defenseless. People live and run around aimlessly and take pleasure in accusing, torturing and even killing them. No one is there to defend these defenseless women. It is saddening to hear and experience such brutal killings. In this age and time we cannot continue to act and behave like barbaric people who have no respect for life and kill to protect their territories.

We have laws of the country that govern us. We have the Christian faith that also determines our way of life in following Jesus: proclaiming his truth and living his life. Respect for life should be in the conscience of all people regardless of who that person is. Torturing and killing innocent and defenseless people is exactly like crucifying Jesus on Calvary for nothing. God has given us this life as a gift and we should respect it and only God can take it back. He does not give us the permission to take away the lives of others, even the unborn, the disabled, the criminals, the unwanted, the sick, and even those who have no cure, etc.

I encourage all our citizens not to get into this bad habit of accusing innocent and defenseless people of sorcery, resulting in torturing and killing. This is a moral evil that should not be practiced. It also gives a bad image of this country and its people. We are seen and regarded by many as a good and warm hearted people living in this part of the world. So let’s promote the good side of our lives and Country and do away with the bad practices.

Bishop Arnold Orowae

President, Catholic Bishops Conference

SOURCES

Todagia Kelola, “Police save women accused of sorcery from torture and likely burning in kangaroo court”, Post-Courier Newspaper, 1st December, 2014.

Bishop Arnold Orowae, Press release: Bishop thanks PPC of Wabag for saving women accused of sorcery, 9th December, 2014