AS many as 200 women are lynched every year in India after being accused of practising witchcraft, a study by a charity has found.HeraldSun
The deaths are most prevalent in poverty-stricken villages populated by tribal groups in the northern Indian state of Jharkhand, with cases also reported in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Orissa.
Avdhash Kaushal, chairman of the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, said that most victims were single or widowed and were often targeted for their land or money.
They are often forced to drink urine or eat excreta in public and are then paraded naked through the village. An estimated 200 are killed each year, with many more committing suicide afterwards out of shame
The irrational fear of witches can be easily manipulated for the purposes of personal political and economic advancement. There are no reliable mechanisms of verification for those who make or assess the claim.
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