A distressing video has surfaced, capturing the brutal assault of a woman who has been accused of witchcraft.
The footage has ignited renewed concerns over the persistence of such horrifying practices despite a law criminalising the act.
This, therefore, highlights the urgent need for intervention and awareness.
The video, which has circulated on various social media platforms, exhibits two men subjecting the woman to physical and verbal abuse.
The assailants hurled accusations at her, branding her a witch and blaming her for various misfortunes in their community.
The woman was seen defenseless, enduring the whips, slaps and insults from the men.
This incident, reminiscent of previous cases, underscores the deeply ingrained belief in witchcraft that persists in certain communities, often leading to acts of violence against those accused.
It would be recalled that Akua Denteh was brutally beaten and killed heartlessly at Kafaba, in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region on Thursday, July 23, 2020, leading to her death the next day. Her death ignited widespread angry reaction across the country, with calls for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
The Salaga police subsequently arrested seven individuals including the chief of the Kafaba community, Seidu Yahaya. Hajia Serena Mohammed and Latifa Bomaye who had gone into hiding following the incident were later arrested at their hideouts.
Two female culprits are serving a twelve year jail sentence each for the act. There have been other reports of similar assaults in the media.
Witchcraft accusations often lack any form of credible evidence and disproportionately target vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and marginalized members of society.
Human rights organizations and advocates persistently calling for an end to these acts of violence, the acts continue.
Recently, Ghana passed a bill criminalising witchcraft accusations, however, sensitisation must be beefed in order to stop the assaults on suspected witches.