The PNG Tribal Foundation has called on government leaders to move beyond words and take decisive action to end Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV) in the country.
PNG Tribal Foundation president GT Bustin said despite repeated public condemnations of ongoing torture and killings of innocent women, there had been little sustained follow-up or accountability to hold perpetrators responsible for their crimes.
“While there are so many unreported sorcery accusation and related violence cases in the provinces, the perpetrators have been roaming freely in the community and such torture and killing of three women leaving two deaths and one hospitalized in last week in Lae, Morobe Province, where we must see justice work at the end,” Mr Bustin said.
He cited the recent execution of an innocent woman in Tari, Hela Province, as another example of weak enforcement.
“An execution of an innocent woman in Tari, Hela Province in July, there has been little sustained follow up with eight suspects released by Tari Court due to no formal chargers laid by police citing human rights violation due to unlawful detention and I believe nothing has been made to this date,” he said.
Mr Bustin stressed that what is now urgently needed is consistent government action backed by political will.
“We need consistent action,” he emphasized. “What is needed now is political will that leads to arrests, prosecutions, and protection for victims.”
The Foundation has so far assisted police in arresting 137 perpetrators and supported more than 650 victims of SARV across the country. The organization has also covered fuel costs for police vehicles, postmortems, medical reports, legal fees, and witness protection to ensure justice is served.
Mr Bustin revealed the justice system has delivered some results through cases supported by the Foundation, with 11 perpetrators successfully prosecuted, including two who were sentenced to eight years imprisonment each last month at the Kundiawa National Court.
In Lae, the Foundation is currently assisting with three active SARV cases, one involving a self-proclaimed “prayer warrior” and another involving a community leader, both now facing justice thanks to ongoing Foundation support.
Mr Bustin warned that without continued financial and technical backing, such cases could easily collapse.
“Ending SARV will require real action and we welcome government leaders to join us and help end the torture and murder of innocent Papua New Guineans,” he said.
The PNG Tribal Foundation continues to work closely with police and communities to end sorcery-related violence and ensure justice for victims across the country.
Thank you PNG Tribal Foundation for the wounderful work towards finding justice for those responsible for sorcery related killings. It’s sad that government is neglecting its fundamental duty of protecting its people and upholding rule of law in this country.
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