Villagers Kill Those Suspected of Sorcery

More than 350 people have been killed by villagers in Tanzania in the last year and a half after being accused of being witches or wizards, a police report said. The killings, which took place between January 1998 and May this year, mean that an average of 21 killings a month are linked to superstition, said the report by Tanzania’s Criminal Investigation Department. Witchcraft slayings have been reported recently in Mbeya, southern Tanzania, linked to trade in human skin. The superstitious think that the skin can protect homes from demons and evil spirits and that it can increase harvests and lure clients to local bars and shops when it is used in certain rituals.