Latest news with #SARV
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- RNZ News
PNG police offer reward to try and solve Hela sorcery murder
Sorcery related violence victims, mostly women, number in the hundreds each year. Photo: 123RF Content warning: This story discusses violence against women. Reports of killings in Papua New Guinea (PNG), committed by people claiming their victims were sorcerers, are becoming more and more frequent. The victims, mostly women, number in the hundreds each year. There has long been an effort to curb what is known as Sorcery Accusation Relation Violence (SARV), but the practice continues. RNZ Pacific spoke its RNZ correspondent Scott Waide about the victim in a recent, particularly barbaric murder in Hela Province, in the PNG Highlands. Hands of a sorcery related violence survivor. Photo: Scott Waide (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.) SCOTT WAIDE: She is a mother of six, married to a teacher. Her husband was a teacher, and her husband died, and she was accused of sorcery and being responsible for his death. The immediate family of the husband took her and tortured her, as far as I know, over a period of two nights. She was stripped and burned over that period, and then on the third day, allowed to wear some clothing, and she was taken to a bridge and shot. Then everything was recorded on video, her torture, the accusations leveled against her. I've just received a translation of the accusations, and it's pretty insane, the level of accusations. So torture over two days and then taken and killed. DON WISEMAN: So much for relying on relatives to protect you after your husband dies. SW: Yeah, that's the unfortunate situation of women married into those large families. Because I've spoken to several, you know, several organisations, members of organisations, who deal directly with SARV and that's pretty much the case when their husbands, the husbands of those women, die. They are the subject of accusations at first and then, if they're very unlucky, torture and eventual death. DW: Now the Regional Police Commissioner, Joseph Tondop, he seems to be moving quickly on this. SW: Yes, under Tondop's command, he's seen various instances of Sorcery Accusation Related killings, so he's pretty much fed up with, one, the inaction by the communities themselves, and the difficulty of getting those perpetrators brought to justice. He has issued orders for the provincial police commander to mobilise resources and go after the killers. Over the last two days, there's been significant development with Commissioner Manning - Police, Commissioner Manning - posting a 50,000 kina reward for information leading to the arrest of those people. There's also been one arrest, and in particular, a close relative of the woman being arrested as well, and his identity brought to the police as well. So there's been significant progress since that incident. DW: And they have available, of course, a video. SW: Yes, it is, you know, quite disturbing that with social media now, a lot of that brutality is recorded and posted without any thought of the impact it's going to have on the wider community. Sometimes I'm thinking, the communities want to outdo themselves by posting videos of the accusations and the tortures. Yeah, pretty brutal video, this one. DW: Mr Tondop wants to see a wider police action to combat SARV across the country. He wants a national strategy. Is that likely? Is that going to happen? SW: There are various organisations working towards a national strategy. But you know, the the communities and the accusations and how the communities respond to SARV is varied. You know, very, very different in different communities and in the Highlands, and in particular, there are similarities, A lot of the community based organisations, church based organisations have developed their own systems to deal with SARV, for instance, in Enga, where the UN has put an enormous amount of resources. I just spoke to a UN official who said they can't put safe houses in Enga because the safe houses will be attacked. The victims of sorcery violence are brought out of Enga and placed in other provinces where there are safe houses. So, the systems are varied. There needs to be a strategy, as Tondop said, on a national scale, but it is a complex area to work within, and a lot of times the police and government officials rely on community based organisations and individuals who bravely go out and rescue these women. DW: Are incidents of SARV becoming more common? Or are they now, because of the wider availability of media, just being reported? SW: I think they are becoming a lot more prevalent. I was just speaking with a church health worker based in Hela, and he was saying that in the last six months, there's been instances every month that he has heard or seen, particularly outside of Tari itself. It is becoming prevalent, and I think the other factor is that people are reporting it more, and there is a lot more awareness in the community. These incidents are being reported to police or to the churches or to community based organisations in the hope that it'll be stopped or help will be brought to them.
RNZ News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Building peace from the ground up: Angela Apa and Kup women for peace
Angela Apa, who heads an organization called Kup Women for Peace (KWP), spearheads a powerful movement for change in Papua New Guinea's Simbu Province. Photo: Scott Waide Angela Apa, who heads an organization called Kup Women for Peace (KWP), spearheads a powerful movement for change in Papua New Guinea's Simbu Province. For 25 years, this women-led organization has been a beacon of hope, working tirelessly to address conflict, violence, and injustice at the community level, often in the face of daunting challenges and a lack of official recognition. Since its inception in 2000, KWP has rescued over 200 women survivors of sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) and tribal conflicts across Simbu Province. They have also repatriated hundreds more, both within Simbu and to other provinces, particularly those affected by SARV. The organization consistently provides support, receiving approximately 10 clients each week, offering counseling and crisis support. "Out of the 10, five would usually be women, three, on average would be girls and two would be men," Angela said. Violence affects everyone in the community. Angela points to a fact that many ignore. The primary victim of any form of violence usually seeks help with other members of her family. "When a women comes, she comes with others. They're either her children or other family members. For most women, they are denied justice. Lawyers are expensive and the process of getting justice is difficult. We have to help them." One of the most challenging aspects of KWP's work involves personally supporting victims of SARV. Because KWP lacks a safe house or support centre, the organization's staff and human rights defenders often accommodate survivors themselves. This exposes them to significant personal risk; Angela notes that if she supports someone accused of sorcery, she herself may be accused. Despite these dangers, they continue to provide this crucial, hands-on support. In neighboring Jiwaka Province, another organization, Voice for Change, led by Lilly BeSoer , also does similar work. Voice for Change has been caring for victims of violence for more than a decade and the cost of taking care of families displaced by violence is high. "The cost of food is high. We have to find money from somewhere to pay for a rice bag. Many of the women come to us because they have nowhere to go. We can't turn them away." While exact national figures are difficult to obtain due to fragmented data and a high rate of unreported incidents, research indicates an alarming scale of the problem. For instance, a study covering four hotspot provinces between January 2016 and June 2020 recorded 1,039 accusation incidents involving 1,553 accused persons, of which 298 (29 percent) led to violence, affecting 546 victims. Within this period, 65 individuals were killed, 86 suffered permanent injuries, and 141 endured other serious harm like burning or cutting. Nationally, estimates suggest over 6,000 violent SARV incidents occurred between 2000 and June 2020, resulting in approximately 3,000 deaths. This violence is not only claiming lives and causing severe injuries but also leads to inter-generational stigmatization, property destruction, and the displacement of entire communities, highlighting the grave and multifaceted impact of SARV on PNG society. KWP's core mission is multifaceted, stemming from the unique needs of its community. Initially, the organization took the initiative to combat gun violence, a prevalent issue in the highlands region, to protect women and girls. But their work has morphed into providing mediation and training to community members, including youth, church, and women leaders. These training programs focus on behavioral change and educate participants on their human rights and the laws and Constitution of Papua New Guinea. "We show them the way to go and get justice at the police station," Angela explains, emphasizing KWP's role in guiding survivors through legal processes. A crucial aspect of KWP's work is providing crisis support to women who have experienced abuse. This includes assisting women from coastal areas who have married into the region and face violence, helping them return to their homes. KWP also operates a strong rapid response system to address violence related to social accusations. Angela highlights their robust network with service providers like the police, particularly the Family and Sexual Violence Unit, and Family Support Centers. They also collaborate closely with Catholic and other missionary churches to deliver training and support. "I made a promise that I will build peace until, you know, our organization or the end of the world," Angela said.
