Bill to Exonerate Convicted ‘Witches’ in Colonial Massachusetts -By Leo Igwe

Thank you, committee members, for the opportunity to testify here today. My name is Leo Igwe, a citizen of Nigeria and a citizen of the world. I hold a doctoral degree in religious studies from the University of Bayreuth and wrote my thesis on witchcraft accusations in Ghana, West Africa. I have campaigned against witch persecution and ritual attacks since the 90s, and in 2020, I founded the Advocacy for Alleged Witches to end witch hunting and related injustices in Africa by 2030. It is natural for the Advocacy for Alleged Witches to support Bill H. 1927, urging the exoneration of eight individuals convicted of witchcraft in Boston and all others accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts.

This exoneration will serve as a statement of hope and relief to tens of thousands in Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, India, and Papua New Guinea who still suffer similar accusations, persecution, and miscarriage of justice in this century. In my part of the world, witch trials have not ended. Alleged witches, mainly women, children, and elderly persons, are beaten and flogged. They are tortured, stripped naked, set ablaze, or buried alive. Witch hunting persists because the justice system fails too many of the accused, as was the case in colonial Massachusetts.

Based on decades of studies, research, and activism, I can confirm that your favourable consideration of this bill will surely resonate with contemporary victims of superstitious fear and their families. It will boost ongoing efforts to end abuses linked to belief in witchcraft in other parts of the world. Thank you

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches