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Benin — «Child witches» are killed here Ritual infanticide is still carried on in certain parts of Benin’s northern area — a custom from another age. Such children are called «child witches», and are killed because they had the misfortune to have had a breech birth; because when born they didn’t cry; or they had their first teeth before eight months or had swollen gums; or when born, to have fallen on their right arm or to have fallen from their mother’s breast; or their mother died in childbirth. Regarded as «anomalies of nature», these so-called «demons» take on a human form, and they are killed by people (men) known for their «special activities». Social pressure and cultural influence empowers such persons to carry out these deeds — the mothers’ feelings are completely ignored. «Child witches» who are not killed are either abandoned or sold-off. They live by themselves in a hut without a door on the edge of the village. They’re dressed in rags and have to beg for their food at the market.
Generally, a veil of silence is drawn over this tradition. But for some
time, now, some Non-Governmental Organisations have undertaken a remarkable
public awareness campaign on this issue — a campaign based mainly on making
Christian values known. There’s been encouraging results — people have
become aware of the evil of ritual child infanticide and have given up
this practice (mainly carried out by the Bariba ethnic group). |