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A woman has died in Papua New Guinea after being tortured for hours following an accusation of sorcery.
RNZ Pacific's Papua New Guinea correspondent Scott Waide told Pacific Waves two women were accused of sorcery and were held and tortured for a few hours.
The second woman was in serious condition in hospital, and five people were arrested in relation to the case.
Violence stemming from sorcery accusations is a widespread problem in PNG.
Earlier this year, there was an horrific murder in Hela where a mother of six was shot after being being burnt and tortured following accusations of sorcery.
In January, peace workers and Enga Police saved a mother, accused of sorcery, from her would-be killers. She was rescued from her ordeal in Warael village in Kompiam-Ambum district, along with a four-month-old baby whom she was accused of using sorcery to kill.
In actuality, the baby fell unconscious from severe pneumonia and the mother was blamed for nothing.
Scott Waide said sorcery-related violence is a society-wide challenge and churches and non-government organisations (NGOs) are working with communities to address it.
One group, Kup Women for Peace, has rescued over 200 women survivors of sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) and tribal conflicts across Simbu Province since 2000. They have also repatriated hundreds more, both within Simbu and to other provinces, particularly those affected by SARV.
There is also legislation in place against it.
"Under the current law, if somebody accuses someone else of sorcery, that person can be held liable and can go to jail for a long time," Waide said.
"Having said that it's basically a heart and mind struggle - trying to get people to understand that it is wrong, and challenging the cultural norms and the traditions and just the perceptions of people around sorcery and the beliefs.
"It's a huge, huge challenge. It's going to take a while before we see any light at the end of the tunnel."
