Legislative approaches to addressing harmful practices related to witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks: a global review

Harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and
ritual attacks are a form of extreme human rights abuse
occurring across many parts of the world today.1
While the exact
number of victims is unknown, credible evidence indicates
that thousands of people are accused of witchcraft each year
globally, often with fatal consequences.2
A 2019 study found over
20,000 victims of such harmful practices reported in the last
decade across 60 countries, many of whom had suffered torture,
mutilation, banishment and death.3
Victims are predominantly
the weak and vulnerable, including widowed and divorced
women, children and individuals living with disabilities. It is
likely that the cases reported in the media and that proceed
through the courts represent only the tip of the iceberg, as such
crimes are frequently not reported due to fear of retribution and
a prevailing culture of impunity, which leads to a lack of trust in
the justice system.