Sorcery accusation -related violence (SARV) remains one of the biggest issues in the country, sadly SARV has increase in the Highlands region, thus more and more Non-Government Organisations, Church, Police, Health and other partners have been working together to combat the SARV issue.
One of the leading NGO groups that has been in the forefront of SARV is the PNG Tribal Foundation.
Tribal Foundation has a record of rescuing SARV survivors, bringing perpetrators to justice and becoming the hope for SARV Victims.
Tribal Foundation highlighted in their latest report that from the year 2023 up to this date, the organisation has dealt with 46 SARV cases, assisted police in 122 arrests and 77 were charged by police for being perpetrators of SARV.
The statistic is a combined report from the Highlands Region including the Morobe Province.
According to the Tribal Foundation reports, 77 out of the 122 arrests are charged and are currently in prison while others are out on bail as police investigations continue.
PNG Tribal Foundation Founder, GT Bustin, confirmed that nine of these cases have resulted in successful convictions, however, 27 suspects were reportedly released illegally from police custody.
A key suspect relating to SARV case of a police officer who was murdered in year 2012 in Western Highlands Province, was arrested last month in Jiwaka by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), after been in hiding for a very long time.
The suspect was charged with wilful murder and arson and is currently detained at Barawagi Prison.
Investigations are ongoing, and police with assistance from the PNG Tribal Foundation are expected to make more arrests in connection with the case as well as many other SARV cases in the highlands.