Witchcraft-linked killings seen easing


THERE is a steep downward trend in witchcraft-related killings in the country, with a new report indicating the reduction of such crimes by over 60 per cent over the past five years.

The revelations represent a big relief for elderly people who largely fell victim to the barbarism. In the past, such killings were rampant in some areas as the senior citizens were attacked after associating them with being witches or wizards due to having red eyes.

But, the new report released yesterday in Dar es Salaam, indicates that the number of such killings, which were 765 in 2013, dropped significantly to 307 last year. The findings were prepared by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) and the Zanzibar Legal Services Centre (ZLSC).

The survey also found out that cases of mob violencehad gone down in the corresponding period, from 1669 to 917 incidents. “The improvement is the result of efforts by the police in undertaking their core duty of protecting the citizens, as well as cooperation between the government and the civil societies in educating the public,”

Mr Fundikira Wazambi, a researcher with the LHRC, noted after presenting the report to the stakeholders. He said the state of human rights in the country had in some areas improved and others needed more improvementsFor instance, women had continually experienced violence despite various human rights conventions that strove for the protection of their rights.

The report reveals that over the past five years, women increasingly experienced sexual and physical violence. The data shows that in 2013, a total of 5802 incidents were reported and the number shot up to 8,039 by last year. “The report gives us a grim picture of the state of raping women in the country…

women have been increasingly raped,” remarked Dr Helen Kijo-Bisimba, Executive Director of the LHRC. In another development, the report further says, the enactment of the Legal Aid Act of 2017, which provides for legal recognition of paralegals, would enhance access to justice.

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