Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence in PNG Part 7: The Harm of SARV

Abstract

This is the seventh In Brief in a series presenting findings from a multi-year study of sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This In Brief reports on the various dimensions of harm that SARV creates for individuals, their families, their community and the nation. The research covers the four provinces of Enga, Bougainville, National Capital District (NCD) and Jiwaka, where quantitative data was collected over a four-and-a-half-year period (January 20161–June 2020). During this time, 298 incidents of violent accusations were recorded involving 546 victims. Of these victims, 65 were killed, 86 suffered permanent injury2 and 141 survived other serious harm, such as burning, cutting, tying or being forced into water. In total, we recorded 318 people having either died or survived serious harm as a result of SARV.