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The Twisted Tale of Modern Child Mutilating Witch Doctors
A medieval-sounding practice ported to the modern age
Over a decade ago, a boy was found lying in a bush barely alive. His head, neck and back had been struck by a machete and one of his testicles had been removed. The boy was attacked while walking home from school but, miraculously, survived. He was in a coma for over a month while doctors tried to save his life.
The boy’s name was Allan Ssembatya and this was not a random incident. The child had been chosen for his age, accessibility and, possibly, appearance. He was targeted by a group of extremist witch doctors who use child sacrifice and human flesh in order to obtain blessings from the spirit world, often at the behest of paying clients.
Grabbing children, cutting flesh from them and using it in spiritual rituals sounds like something out of the Dark Ages but, sadly, this is a practice that continues to linger sporadically across Africa, and especially in Uganda.
A twisted process
Human sacrifice has always been specter looming over civilization. The practice has been around for thousands of years and most people think that it is a relic of the ancient past. However, a recent resurgence of the practice has been unearthed in parts of Uganda.
