Nigeria’s “witch children”
A campaign of violence seeks to root out witches living among the people in southeastern Nigeria. Most of the victims are children.
The hunters are encouraged by evangelical pastors, according to human-rights groups in the area. Drawing on the community’s fears, preachers sometimes denounce specific children as witches, leading the young ones to be abused, abandoned and even murdered.
Now, one local group provides refuge for children who have been forced out of their communities. The Nigerian non-governmental group Child‘s Right And Rehabilitation Network, has taken in 160 children scorned as “witches.”
“So many people here believe that children can be possessed by demons that there is rarely any action taken against those who claim to deliver the children in violent exorcisms,“ says Sam Itauma, of CRARN…
So-called witches are identified by powerful religious leaders from local churches where Christianity and traditional beliefs combine to produce a deep-rooted belief in, and fear of, witchcraft. The ministers spread the message that child-witches bring destruction, disease and death to their families. And they say that, once possessed, children can cast spells and contaminate others…
The religious leaders offer help to the families whose children are named witches, but at a price. The churches hold evening exorcisms, where the pastors attempt to drive out the evil spirits. Only they have the power to cleanse the child of evil spirits, they say. The exorcism can cost the families up to a year‘s income.
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