Success story: Little boy saved after sanguma accusations
A 9 year old boy from Simbu happy in his new home after surviving terrible torture because of sanguma accusations.
At the beginning of July, Peter was admitted to the Kundiawa hospital. He presented profound cuts in his head and body and his chances of surviving were slim. The injuries had been caused by his uncle, who attacked the little boy with an axe accusing the young boy of sanguma (being a witch). Fortunately, the staff at Kundiawa’s Hospital were very responsive and Dr. Jan Jaworski, Catholic Priest and Senior Surgeon, operated on him and in a very long surgery in the early hours of the morning, miraculously was able to piece the damaged tissues back together.
Peter had a surprising recovery that lasted for longer than two months. The biggest challenge after surviving this kind of violence was then to find a place for him to stay since his parents are deceased. No relatives had visited him during this time and the option of him returning back to his village was too dangerous.
Several members of the Catholic Church: Archbishop Douglas Young, Bishop Don Lippert, Father Philip Gibbs and Father Jan Jaworski worked on finding a place where Peter could go and be with other children, so he would have the chance to continue his education and develop a normal life. People responded very positively and, after identifying some places in the Highlands, he was relocated, ready to start a new period of his life.
Today, almost five months after the incident, Peter has a home and he is happy with his new family. What is more, thanks to Jimmi Direcore, the founder of Simbu Children Foundation, the culprit who accused and attacked the boy is now in jail.
Regarding Sanguma accusations and their related violence, there is some good and bad news every day. For each woman or child who has been saved, another has still been tortured, kicked out of her vilage or murdered. There are many people standing up against sorcery related violence who are working hard to prevent violence and assist victims. Human Rights Defenders, the Catholic Church, Community-Based Organisations, International NGOs and some bodies of the government and the police are realising the extent of the problem and starting to develop strategies with the objective of saving lives.
All these efforts make a difference, especially for those who survive. However, it seems not to be enough. Still, every other day, we hear or read on the news that more women have been burnt alive, tortured or killed accused of witchcraft. It is in the hands of each Papua New Guinean to stop the killings. As the government and different stakeholders are about to implement a National Action Plan to address the violence, the change is also in each one of us, in what we say and what we do.
