A native 45-year-old woman in Paraguay was accused of practicing witchcraft and then burned alive, a local prosecutor confirmed Wednesday. The date of the killing, however, remained unclear.
Adolfina Ocampos was attacked after forcibly being tied to a wooden pole by members of the Mbya Guarani community, who then shot arrows at her before burning her alive, prosecutor Fany Aguilera said.
Nine village men have been charged with first-degree murder, Aguilera said, adding that all of the suspects had confessed to the crime, according to the Associated Press.
The horrific incident came after Ocampos was sentenced to death last week by the community's chief in Tahehyi, a village some 180 miles north of the capital, Asuncion.
Every year, thousands of people worldwide are accused of being witches and practicing witchcraft, according to a report by the United Nations Refugee Agency. Staying true to the trend, the victims are then either abused, shunned from communities and family's alike or tragically murdered, the UN said.
This case, however, is unusual, according to Fox News.
"I've been working in Paraguay for 40 years and I can't remember a similar episode of an execution for alleged sorcery," said Jose Zanardini, an Italian anthropologist and Catholic priest. "The tragic death of this woman is isolated and out of the ordinary within the coexistence of Paraguay's 20 ethnic indigenous groups. In general, the Indians are very peaceful and tolerant."
Additionally, the state agency for the protection of indigenous peoples said in a statement Wednesday that "although the indigenous communities are ruled by customary law, their acts cannot violate the constitutional rights of respecting the life and the liberty of people."
Last month, a public awareness campaign was launched in Britain to fight crimes committed under the disguise of witchcraft since recent years have seen a steep rise in the number of ritual child abuse cases being committed and investigated in the United Kingdom.
