The Persecution of Witches, 21st-Century Style

Witch hunts may be a thing of the past in Europe and North America, but they still go on in some parts of the world.

Most people believe that the persecution of “witches” reached its height in the early 1690s with the trials in Salem, Mass., but it is a grim paradox of 21st-century life that violence against people accused of sorcery is very much still with us. Far from fading away, thanks to digital interconnectedness and economic development, witch hunting has become a growing, global problem. Read more

Angry Haitian Mobs Lynch 45 "Witches" over Cholera Outbreak

This is just sad - both the cholera epidemic and people's reaction to it. This sounds similar to the witch hunts during the Middle Ages when people blamed their neighbors for their problems and afflictions.

Angry Haitian mobs have lynched at least 45 people in recent weeks, accusing them of spreading a cholera outbreak that has killed over 2,500 people across the country, officials said Wednesday.

The number included at least 14 suspected sorcerers previously known to have been lynched in the far southwestern region of Grand'Anse as local people feared they were spreading cholera with a magical substance. The area has been largely spared by the outbreak. Read more

I get emails occasionally from readers who are convinced that witches are tormenting them. I always ask if they know any witches, and if they do, whether they have done something to them. So far I haven't gotten an answer.

Some witches and sorcerers do perform revenge magic against people who have wronged them. However, in my opinion, magic and witchcraft take too much time and effort to waste on random malevolence. Unless you have harmed or offended a witch, you should look elsewhere for the cause of your problems.

Witches Pardon Petition Launched

About 400 people in England and about 2,000 in Scotland were executed in the 16th and 17th centuries following accusations of witchcraft. A national petition has been launched to get royal pardons for those executed.

A national petition has been launched to get royal pardons for those executed in Britain during the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The crime of being a witch was abolished by the 1735 Witchcraft Act but did not grant posthumous pardons.

About 400 people were executed in England following accusations of witchcraft and about 2,000 in Scotland. Read more