Deaths over ‘sorcery’

Port Moresby: Police in Papua New Guinea’s East Sepik province have reported five deaths related to sorcery accusations in the past week.

Newspaper The National reported that a 13yearold boy was allegedly kidnapped and hanged on Saturday in Angoram.

Police commander Superintendent Albert Beli said the death was related to the murder of a woman and a high school student last week in that district.

The deaths are believed to be payback for the death of a man at Angoram in February.

Beli said the man died from illness, but accusations the death was caused by sorcery had spread through the community.

Three people have been charged with wilful murder in relation to the deaths.

Beli said a man and his son were killed on Wewak’s east coast on Sunday and the deaths were also related to sorcery accusations. Police are investigating. — RNZ