Human rights groups condemn killing of women in Papua New Guinea for sorcery

Human rights groups continue to raise concerns about the torture and killing of women in Papua New Guinea who are accused of sorcery. Last week, police stopped a crowd from burning alive two elderly women. This followed the torture and killing of a 20-year old mother earlier this month in the same town. Kepari Leniata was burned alive in front of a crowd of people. The UN Human Rights agency says they’ve seen an increase in these types of killings as well as torture and rape. They say the accusations are often used to deprive women of land and property.  Cécile Pouilly is a spokesperson for UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Navi Pillay. She spoke to UN Radio’s Mamadou Alpha Diallo.