Witch gives birth in gallows

February 27, 2008

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A Woman was hung from a tree after being accused of witchcraft - and gave birth as she struggled in the noose.

Pregnant Nolan Yekum and her husband Paul were dragged from their house and hung from a tree by fellow tribesmen who accused them of sorcery after the couple’s neighbor suddenly died.

Their ordeal occurred in Kilip village near Banz in Western Highlands Province, PNG’s newspaper The National reported today.

The woman and her baby girl, her third child, were doing well in Mt Hagen Hospital after two weeks in hiding, the report said.

Her husband said men entered their house in the middle of the night with a rope and tied it round their necks, accusing them of sorcery over their neighbor’s death.

They were dragged outside and hung from a tree, he said.

“We managed to loosen the noose to get our feet on the ground … we were able to free ourselves.

“My wife, who was about seven months pregnant, delivered the baby while struggling to free herself.

“It was a painful experience for me and her,” Mr Yekum said.

He said he pleaded with villagers to wait for his neighbor’s post-postmortem examination and he accused local police of failing to act.