Elderly Woman Murdered for Being a Witch

In the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand a 65-year-old woman was burned to death because her neighbors thought she was a witch. This comes just a couple of days after two women were burnt to death in the Godda area of the state of Jharkhand because their neighbors thought they were witches as well.

The chief of the Free Legal Aid Committee, a group working against the killing of alleged witches, is quoted as saying: "In most of the cases, it's either for sexual desires of the Ojhas, if the victim is young, or for land and property in the case of an elderly woman, that such crimes are committed."

There are laws against the persecution of alleged witches, but law enforcement agencies don't know much about them so they aren't enforced.

Read More:

• Witches and Witchcraft: Chronology