Police arrest seven for 'witchcraft' killings<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Police detectives in Sukabumi arrested 12 people
\nsuspected of killing at least seven Tegal Beleud villagers whom
\nthey accused of practicing witchcraft.<\/p>\n
Col. Edi Darnadi, the chief of the Bogor Regional Police,
\nwhich also oversees Sukabumi, said on Thursday the 12 men were
\nsuspected of killing and dumping the bodies of the seven victims
\nin separate incidents last month in the Cigaranten and Cigadok
\nareas of Sukabumi.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects were arrested in different raids over the past
\nfew days by 27 police detectives from the Sukabumi precinct,\"
\nsaid Edi, who was accompanied by Sukabumi Police chief Lt. Col.
\nTubagus Anis.<\/p>\n
According to the preliminary police investigation, none of the
\nvictims had ever been involved in any kind of witchcraft.<\/p>\n
Tubagus added: \"They once tried to cure their neighbors,
\nthat's all.\"<\/p>\n
Edi said the suspects were extortionists, who forced the
\nvillagers to hand over their valuables and livestock.<\/p>\n
\"They visited the villagers and accused them of practicing
\nwitchcraft. The crooks then demanded the villagers' money and
\nvaluables on threat of violence.<\/p>\n
\"If the villagers complied with the suspects, they placed a
\nsign on their house that read: 'Not a practitioner of black
\nmagic,'\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Those who had no money or expensive goods had to give their
\nlivestock to the suspects,\" Edi said.<\/p>\n
The bodies of two of the seven victims have not been
\nrecovered.<\/p>\n
Edi identified two of the suspects as senior staff at the
\nlocal administration office, while the other 10 were farmers.<\/p>\n
As a reward to the 27 Sukabumi detectives involved in the
\narrests, Edi presented the officers with money on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Over the past few years, the country has witnessed a series of
\nkillings targeting alleged practitioners of witchcraft. Most of
\nthese murders occurred in cities in East and Central Java.<\/p>\n
The majority of the murders remain unsolved, and some police
\nofficers have said their investigations indicated political
\nmotives behind some of the slayings.<\/p>\n
In September 1998, at least 150 people in six regencies in
\nEast Java, including Banyuwangi, were murdered.<\/p>\n
The initial victims of the killing spree were people suspected
\nof practicing witchcraft, but the killers then began targeting
\nMuslim preachers. (21\/bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-arrest-seven-for-witchcraft-killings-1447893297",
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