Sorcery Accusation Related Violence is against the law in Papua New Guinea, under the Criminal Code, the Constitution, and under international human rights standards.
Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (any act of violence, torture, or killing carried out because someone is accused of sorcery or witchcraft) is a serious criminal offence in Papua New Guinea. It has been against the law for decades, and the law has been strengthened significantly since 2013.
There is no legal defence based on a belief in sorcery. A person cannot avoid criminal responsibility for violence by saying they believed the victim was a sorcerer. Courts in Papua New Guinea have treated belief in sorcery as an aggravating factor, meaning it can lead to a harsher sentence, not a reduced one.
Under Section 299A of the Criminal Code, killing someone because they are accused of sorcery is wilful murder: one of the most serious criminal offences in Papua New Guinea. The penalty is death.
In 2013, Parliament repealed the old Sorcery Act 1971 and added Section 299A to the Criminal Code, making it explicit that killing on account of a sorcery accusation is wilful murder. In 2022, Parliament went further and passed the Glasman Act, which makes the act of accusing someone of sorcery a criminal offence, even where no physical violence has yet occurred.
Teachers and facilitators can share this clearly with communities: the person who accuses someone of sorcery, the person who carries out the violence, and the person who hired the accuser can all be charged and imprisoned.
The accusation itself is illegal. Under the 2022 Glasman Act, a glasman or glasmeri who names someone as a sorcerer can face up to 20 years in prison, and the person who hired them can face up to 10 years. You do not need to wait for violence to occur before reporting to police.
The legal protection against SARV operates at four levels: international human rights conventions that Papua New Guinea has signed, the PNG Constitution, the Criminal Code and related legislation, and the court system that enforces them. Each level reinforces the others.
Papua New Guinea has obligations under international human rights law that apply directly to SARV. When SARV occurs, multiple international legal standards are violated simultaneously.
The Constitution guarantees fundamental rights that every citizen holds. SARV (whether violence, unlawful detention, or a false accusation that puts someone's life at risk) is a breach of constitutional rights, enforceable in the National Court.
A victim of SARV (or a family member acting on their behalf) can bring a constitutional rights claim directly before the National Court under the Human Rights Rules, separate from any criminal process.
The Criminal Code Act 1974 contains the core offences under which SARV perpetrators are prosecuted. Parliament strengthened these laws in 2013 (adding s 299A) and again in 2022 (the Glasman Act).
Violence and killing
Who else can be charged
The Glasman Act 2022
Criminalises the act of accusing someone of sorcery, even where no physical harm has yet occurred.
Glasman/glasmeri who names a person as a sorcerer: up to 20 years
Person who hires a glasman/glasmeri: up to 10 years
As of 2025, seven convictions recorded, with sentences from 5 to 25 years.
False accusations
National Court: Handles wilful murder, murder, grievous bodily harm, rape, and assault, the charges most commonly applicable in SARV cases. Also has constitutional jurisdiction: victims can bring a human rights application directly to the National Court under the Human Rights Rules, even without a criminal prosecution. Courts have consistently treated sorcery belief as an aggravating factor, resulting in longer sentences.
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