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Faith

Up to 50 Arrests Expected After Mob Burns Alleged ‘Witch’ to Death in Papua New Guinea

Feb. 12, 2013 7:21am Billy Hallowell

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (TheBlaze/AP) — Papua New Guinea police say they are about to make their first arrests almost a week after a mob stripped, tortured and bound a woman accused of witchcraft, then burned her alive in front of hundreds of horrified people in the South Pacific nation’s third largest city.

More than 50 members of the mob doused Kepari Leniata, a 20-year-old mother, with gasoline and then set her alight on a pile of car tires and trash in Mount Hagen last Wednesday. She had been accused of sorcery by relatives of a 6-year-old boy who had died in the local hospital the previous day.

Police spokesman Dominic Kakas on Tuesday said suspects had been identified through witness interviews. He said there will be as many as 50 arrests on charges of murder by Wednesday.

During the attack, bystanders, including many children, watched and some took photographs of Wednesday’s brutal slaying. Grisly pictures were published on the front pages of the country’s biggest circulating newspapers, The National and Post-Courier, while the prime minister, police and diplomats condemned the killing.

Up to 50 Arrests Expected in Kepari Leniatas Murder After She was Accused of Witchcraft and Burned

In this Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 photo, bystanders watch as a woman accused of witchcraft is burned alive in the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea. The 20-year-old mother of one, Kepari Leniata was stripped naked by several assailants, tortured with a hot iron rod, bound, doused in gasoline, then set alight on a pile of car tires and trash. (AP Photo/Post Courier) PAPUA NEW GUINEA OUT

In rural Papua New Guinea, witchcraft is often blamed for unexplained misfortunes. Sorcery has traditionally been countered by sorcery, but responses to allegations of witchcraft have become increasingly violent in recent years.

Kakas said onlookers were shocked by the brutality but were powerless to stop the mob. Police officers were also present but were outnumbered and could not save the woman, he said. There is an internal investigation underway into what action police at the scene took.

Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga described the slaying as “shocking and devilish.”

“We are in the 21st century and this is totally unacceptable,” Kulunga said in a statement.

–

Related:

Horror: ‘Devilish’ Mob Strips, Tortures and Burns Alive Woman Accused of Witchcraft in Papua New Guinea

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Comments (24)

54smom
Posted on February 13, 2013 at 12:28am
how sad. But I did notice that the police stood by and could not stop it. NO Guns. People can still brutilize other people, and if you dont have protection you die.

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Demonized
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 5:24pm
From what I could see, that witch was sorta HOT!

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OniKaze
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 11:56am
Witches, Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, Mohammad…. Besides completely un-educated primitives, who REALLY believes in such non-sense anymore???

The only people I know that believe in that stuff are completely delusional or simply boarderline crazy…

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- Uncle Dave
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 4:24pm
  And yet, all these monsters and myths fill movies that people PAY to see… and the movies make BIG money… Pick up and outdoors magazine or catalog, you’ll find all kinds of “zombie killing gear”, seriously?? Pop culture has embraced vampires, witches, etc. and collect a ton of $$. Some of these kids, teenagers and adults actually BELIEVE these creatures could exist.
  
  How about a movie about real people in real situations? Naw, no one wants to see boring stuff. They want to “escape”. I guess their lives must really be horrible to want to escape so badly.
  
  Report this comment
wouldubelieveit
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 10:49am
Witchcraft is a myth Devil warship a myth to. God put he part of himself in everybody on this earth you can use it for his glory are you can use it for your on glory. It can turn water into wine it can make the deaf hear, it can make the lame walk, and the blind to see. God said you can use faith any way you want to. But when the end come. You may not like that part to well. Cause darkness is darkness no light, no more faith to use, no more words to bring life, that’s it Game over. Be careful about the power you think you have. It is a gift from God, not witchcraft, not satan, or daryn or amoeba. He was not afraid to give it to you cause he know his word is a two edge sword. One side cuts for life other side cuts for death Sow on the life side.

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- JRook
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 11:39am
  Who do they think they are Calvanists, Puritans or other radical christian faiths. At least they had the decency to take the time to hold a trial and announce their intentions to take a life in the name of God.
  
  Report this comment
- IsupportisraelNGod
  Posted on February 18, 2013 at 1:10pm
  Don’t tell ME witchcraft is a myth. My sister was into wicca for a few years and you won’t believe the things she saw and NO they were NOT from God at all!
  
  Report this comment
DREDGE
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 10:11am
Just another Bar-b-que!! Wonder if they had watermelon too??

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objectivetruth
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 10:09am
I find it odd that they had been countering sorcery with sorcery.Why change?Something missing here.Hum could it be those peaceful muslims cultural influence has started to roost.They are in Java and Indonesia.Could they be finding their way or at least, their political agenda disguised as a religion, finding its way to them?The only time, I have ever seen, witnessed or read about a culture going backwards this way, was desperation depravity or a muslim influence.Wait, never mind, muslim influence also explains desperation and depravity.

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Gonzo
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 9:16am
Witches, I can’t believe they still believe in witches. I hope the vampires get them!

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- kindling
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 11:01am
  I don’t know Gonzo.. I hear Washington DC believes in Zombies too. It is all about ignorance and keeping as many citizens ignorant as possible. Knowledge is power.
  Remember Benghazi!
  
  Report this comment
- Verceofreason
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 11:06am
  Those poor superstitious people!
  I guess the murderers will be be going to hell!
  
  Report this comment
- antitheism
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 2:00pm
  They are simple following the bible.
  
  Do not permit a witch to live. exodus 22 18
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:13am
Didn’t Bob Uecker hock some radio ads about certain tea leaves hand picked in Papua, New Guinea about fifteen years ago?

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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:34am
  RJJ
  
  I read the lead on this story and though. “Yahooo they got Pelosi”.
  Imagin my disapointment when a read on.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:45am
  OLDSURFRAT, I hear you on that. The first story on this was just as disappointing to find out Piglosi was not there.
  
  Report this comment
ares338
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:11am
I think they still eat people there! I’m taking that place off of my tourism list.

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HKS
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 7:52am
Gee, they missed one in san fran.

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- OldSurfRat
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:38am
  Ah yes the queen of witches.
  I smell dog dropings.
  
  Report this comment
jackact
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 7:50am
Will there be as much consternation when Obama’s brown shirts are checking your Obamacare enrollment status in 2014? Remember he is going to use the IRS to enforce it. What entity will be the ‘under-developed’ nation then?

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 7:59am
  Brownshirts are so backwards, historic. Blueshirts and helmets are au courant.
  
  Report this comment
redfish52
Posted on February 12, 2013 at 7:48am
Unfortunately this has been going on for thousands of years..a village would either sacrifice a person for its bad luck and its good. The only way for this to change is educate the people that witchcraft is a myth and that Jesus Christ is the only answer….

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- DZ-015
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:04am
  If you don’t believe in the Bible then it is easy to dismiss witchcraft as a myth. If you do believe in the Bible, then you have a problem, because witchcraft is very much a part of it. Remember Moses changing his staff into a serpent to devour the serpents created by Pharoah’s priests?
  
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- Locked
  Posted on February 12, 2013 at 8:49am
  @Redfish
  
  “The only way for this to change is educate the people that witchcraft is a myth and that Jesus Christ is the only answer….”
  
  As 96% of Papua New Guinea’s population classifies itself as some form of Christian, I’d say that bringing them to Christ has NOT been working all that well…
  
  Ignorance goes hand-in-hand with poverty, and Christ’s name is being usurped to justify these kinds of practices. When you have folks taking “You shall not suffer a witch to live” literally, there needs to be something done!
  
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