[ NEWS AND COMMENT

Witch Hunts Lead to Murders in India and Tanzania BENJAMIN RADFORD

While many people think of witch hunts as dusty relics of a bygone age, the persecution, torture, and execution of suspected witches continues to the present day in many places. For exam- ple, in July 2014, forty-five-year-old Saraswati Devi, a resident of a small Indian village near Nepal, was accused of being a witch after a local mystic identified her as having practiced black . Over a dozen villagers beat Devi to death as punishment while her two children tried to intervene. The problem is especially bad in India; according to a report in the February 23, 2014, issue of the Indian newspaper Mint, The National Crime Records Bureau says 2,097 murders were committed between 2000 and 2012 where witch hunting was the motive. . . . Once practiced only by tribal communi- Belief in witchcraft has led to hor- ties, witch hunting is now becoming rific murders and mutilations in re- common among Dalits and other cent years outside of India, including minority communities. The idea of a witch is common across all the Accusations of witchcraft in South America and East Africa. In affected [Indian] states. They are 2008, a mob of hundreds of young men thought to possess an evil eye or are a complex sociocul- killed eight women and three men in mouth, they eat humans, kill cattle, tural phenomenon and rural Kenya. The victims were accused destroy crops, and cause illness. But of witchcraft—having supposedly cast witch hunting is not just the result involve many factors. of such . Family disputes spells that lowered the intelligence of over property, land rights of women, Belief in magic is certainly the village’s children. In some cases the and village-level and gender conflicts body parts of albinos—those afflicted are some of the other reasons for an essential element, but with the skin pigmentation disorder— witch hunts in India, historians say. the persecution of witches are sought after for use in magic spells In many parts of the world belief in often involves issues of and rituals. (See “Body Parts Stolen witches is common, and black magic is from African Hospital for Magic Use,” considered a normal part of everyday gender, race, and class. SI, News and Comment, March/April life. A 2010 poll of eighteen countries 2014.) in sub-Saharan Africa found that over In October 2014 seven people in half of the population believes in magic. the East African country of Tanza- Witch doctors are consulted not only nia were killed following accusations for healing diseases but also for placing communities (such as witch doctors of witchcraft. According to the Mail or removing curses or bringing luck. and traditional healers) are often in- and Guardian, “‘They were attacked It is not unusual for people to consult volved in identifying and persecuting and burnt to death by a mob of vil- witch doctors seeking magical assis- innocent women as witches. Once mys- lagers who accused them of engaging tance when preparing for a job inter- tical methods are used to “verify” who in witchcraft,’ the police chief for the view, starting a business, or seeking a is a witch, the justice can be gruesome, western Kigoma region, which borders mate. Those who are seen as having including banishment, rape, disfigure- Burundi, Jafari Mohamed, told Agence positive roles in rural, non-Western ment, torture, and death. France-Presse. . . . Among those ar-

Skeptical Inquirer | January/February 2015 5 rested on suspicion of carrying out the religion. The Christian bible, for exam- places. Levack notes, killings was the local traditional healer, ple, explicitly calls for accused witches In New England the great major- or witchdoctor.” to be put to death per Exodus 22:18, ity of women accused of witch- The victims, most of whom were which states, “Thou shalt not suffer a craft before the Salem episode of elderly, were burned alive and in some witch to live” (KJV). 1692 were dependent members of cases hacked to death with machetes. Accusations of witchcraft are a com- the community who qualified for Nearly two dozen people were arrested, plex sociocultural phenomenon and in- poor relief. . . . In Norway, where large numbers of accused witches and the fact that a witch doctor was volve many factors. Belief in magic is were described in trial records as among them is not unusual. It’s not certainly an essential element, but the extremely poor, most of those who clear what sparked the attack, but often persecution of witches often involves is- were actually convicted were beg- witchcraft accusations follow some sues of gender, race, and class. Most of gars. There are a number of reasons unexplained misfortune such as an ac- the Indian women are poor and of low why the people who filled the lower cident, a sudden sickness, or a village caste. Brian Levack, professor of history ranks of society incurred accusations of witchcraft. Poor people, especially drinking well drying up. If there is no at the University of Texas at Austin poor women, were the weakest and obvious, immediate explanation, the and author of The Witch-Hunt in Early most vulnerable members of society. event may be blamed on a suspected Modern Europe (2006), notes that the witch—usually a women or an elderly targeting of women (and of lower-class Lawmakers in India, Tanzania, and person. Other times the witchcraft ac- women in particular) was prevalent in elsewhere have begun to address the cusations are used as a pretext to settle early European witch hunts: “we can problem, but the roots of these super- personal grudges or confiscate the vic- be fairly certain that the great major- stitions are centuries old and may never tim’s property. ity of those persecuted came from the be eliminated. The belief in and persecution of lower levels of society . . . the mere fact witches is universal and dates back that so many witches were unattached Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of the millennia. Often all that is needed is women of no apparent social distinc- Skeptical Inquirer and author or co- a belief in magic, though sometimes tion points to this conclusion.” author of seven books on media literacy, witchcraft is prohibited by organized The same was true in many other , and critical thinking.

Astronomer Jean Dommanget of Belgian Comité PARA Dies at Age Ninety

Jean Dommanget died on October (“The Mars Effect” of Michel Gauquelin) . He made frequent interven- 1, 2014, at the age of ninety. He were investigated by the committee. tions in the media to denounce the false was an astronomer and head of the Dommanget was president of the claims of the paranormal. Département Astrométrie et Dynamique Comité PARA from 1980 to 2007. He Dommanget resigned the presidency des Corps Célestes at the Royal took care from then until 2009 of the of the Comité PARA at the end of 2007 Observatory of Belgium. He was an drafting of the Nouvelles Brèves, an an- and became vice president for three internationally acknowledged specialist nual publication of the committee. It was years. After his vice-presidential term in the domain of double stars and a through his initiative that a book titled he ceased his activities within the com- longtime scientific consultant to the La Science Face au Défi du Paranor- mittee to devote himself to research on Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. mal was edited to celebrate the fiftieth the orbits of double stars undertaken He joined the Comité PARA in 1960. birthday of the committee. The book, fifty years earlier at the Observatory. Comité PARA is the Belgian Commit- of which he wrote several chapters, Jean Dommanget was an affable, tee for the Scientific Investi gation of describes the history of the committee, competent, enterprising, and firm man Purported Paranormal Phe nomena, the experiments it conducted, and the who devoted himself for more than founded in 1949. He im mediately took paranormal beliefs it examined. He gave thirty years to defending reason and to a significant part in its activities, in par- many lectures about and other allowing the Comité PARA to achieve its ticular when the “Signal du Sourcier” subjects and participated in several TV mission. We will not forget him. (Prof. Yves Rocard) and “l’effet Mars” shows battling against supporters of the — Comité PARA

6 Volume 39 Issue 1 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT

Aboriginal Cancer Treatment Controversy in Canada

PAUL BENEDETTI

For the second time in 2014, Canada’s who was also struck by acute lympho- kemia. In fact, without chemotherapy McMaster University Children’s Hos- blastic leukemia. The girl and her fam- (which cures about 90 percent of chil- pital found itself locked in a battle ily, members of the Mississaugas of New dren with this disease), the chance of with aboriginal parents who took their Credit First Nations, decided in May to survival is zero. respective daughters off chemotherapy cease chemotherapy and use unproven In the latest case, hospital officials and turned to alternative medicine and alternative medicine treatments at the have told the court they have no evi- traditional aboriginal healing. Hippocrates Healing Centre. Makayla dence of any child with leukemia ever In October the Hamilton, Ontar- was given an 80–85 percent chance of being saved by “traditional medicine.” io-based hospital took child welfare recovery with chemotherapy. Without “This child has a life-threatening ill- authorities to court for refusing to inter- proper treatment, she will die, doctors ness [and] without standard treatment vene in the latest case involving an elev- told the Hamilton Spectator, which is will not survive, so our sole focus is try- en-year-old from the Six Nations reserve covering the cases. “At the end of the ing to bring this child into treatment so diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leu- day, why should this child die?” said Dr. we have an opportunity to provide her kemia. The bone marrow cancer has a Peter Fitzgerald, the president of Mc- with a long, healthy life,” Dr. Peter Fitz- 90–95 percent chance of being cured, Master University Children’s Hospital. gerald told the CBC. The case continues said the hospital’s oncologists. Despite these warnings, the girl was before Judge Gethin Edward of the On- The hospital was forced into the taken off the treatment after voicing her tario Court of Justice. rare legal move after the Brant Family views in a YouTube video in which she and Children’s Services refused to in- said, “I have asked my mom and dad Paul Benedetti is an award-winning writer tervene in the case, reported the Octo- to take me off the treatment because I with a special interest in health fraud and ber 8 Globe and Mail newspaper. The don’t want to go this way anymore.” She alternative medicine. He is the coauthor hospital petitioned the agency to seize adds, “If I live or if I die, I’m not afraid.” of Spin Doctors: The Chiropractic Industry the girl—whose name is protected by In the Sault case, the hospital peti- Under Investigation (Dundurn Press). He a publication ban—and resume ther- tioned the Brant Family and Children’s is on faculty at the University of Western apy after efforts to convince the family Services, which investigated and de- Ontario, where he teaches in the masters failed. Originally, the girl’s family agreed cided not to act. “We’re going to close of arts in journalism program. to chemotherapy, but halfway through our file,” said executive director Andrew the month-long treatment they halted Koster. “We feel that Makayla is in a the effort in order to pursue “holistic loving, caring home and that they are healing that respects the family’s ances- carrying on with medicine that would QUOTE tral practices” in a private Florida clinic, be very appropriate for a First Nations reported the paper. Treatments at the family.” WORTHY Hippocrates Health Institute include In that case, the hospital dropped the colon hydrotherapy, acupuncture, hy- matter, but in the latest situation, Dr. Fear and Bad Science perbaric oxygen therapy, “aqua chi ionic Fitzgerald told the Globe and Mail the “The court is fully aware of the footbath,” and “living food” therapies. overriding concern is “saving the girl’s misconceptions, misinformation, In an interview with the Canadian life.” The cases revolve, in part, around bad science, and bad information Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) the the girls’ right to informed medical con- being spread from shore to shore in girl’s mother said: “Before I took her off sent. But the more contentious issue has our country with respect to Ebola. . . . chemo, I made sure that I had a compre- been the right of First Nations members The court is fully aware that people hensive health-care plan that I was very and their families to choose whatever are acting out of fear and that this confident that was going to achieve rid- medical care they want. Some aborig- fear is not entirely rational.” ding cancer of her body before I left the inal experts said the family has a right —Chief District Judge Charles C. hospital. This is not something I think to pursue traditional healing methods, LaVerdiere, in Maine, October 31, 2014, ordering that nurse Kaci Hickox, may work, this is something I know will though it is not clear what treatments with no Ebola symptoms, could not work.” offered at the Florida clinic are aborigi- be forcibly quarantined as demanded The hospital’s unusual decision to di- nal in origin. by Maine’s governor. rectly intervene comes on the heels of the Medical experts say there is no evi- case of eleven-year-old Makayla Sault dence that these methods will cure leu-

Skeptical Inquirer | January/February 2015 7 ‘Ghost’ Caught on New Mexico Police Video—Again

BENJAMIN RADFORD

A mysterious object caught on camera what it is,” and “detectives say the video would be about three inches in diame- outside a New Mexico police depart- defies logic,” according to Good Morn- ter. Because the object is out of focus, ment in September 2014 had many ing America). The fact that the video was its edges and exact dimensions can’t be people wondering if it might be a ghost. captured at a police station gave it instant measured, but it’s clearly a very small According to a September 26 report credibility, and the video soon went viral “ghost.” Despite the claim that the ob- on Good Morning America, “Police in with thousands of people viewing and ject is “human shaped,” it is in fact in- Espanola, New Mexico, are trying to commenting on the mystery. distinct but small and oval. The fact that figure out what human-shaped, blurry, Because of my background as an in- the object is out of focus is also reveal- translucent figure was captured on cam- vestigator—and the fact that I live in ing; the police surveillance camera is set era strolling across a locked area of their New Mexico—I was asked to research up to record objects in the yard, not on station Saturday night. The video shows this supposedly spectral visitor. Though its lens. Anything on the lens would ap- the figure walking through a chain link the police seemed baffled, after about an pear out of focus and translucent, exactly fence and slowly walking out again.” hour of research I determined that there like the ghost in the video.

All evidence suggests that Officer Romero’s first guess about the object’s identity was the correct one: it is actually a bug or insect on the camera, not a human ghost in the yard.

Because the outside lot is a secured was enough information contained in All evidence suggests that Officer area, it would be impossible for anyone the ghost video, news reports, and inde- Romero’s first guess about the object’s to open the gate without an alarm going pendent information about it to plausi- identity was the correct one: it is actu- off, and in any event the object appears to bly identify the mysterious entity. ally a bug or insect on the camera, not a move through objects in classic ghostly I began a video analysis, noting that human ghost in the yard. Another im- style. Police Officer Karl Romero said the ghostly blur doesn’t go through the portant clue to solving this mystery can that at first he assumed that the moving objects in the background (such as the be found in the way the object moves. As figure in the video was an insect, prob- fence) as was claimed but instead goes Officer Romero noted, the “ghost” does ably a fly or moth. But when he looked over them—a sign that the “ghost” is seem to have legs—six or eight of them, again he saw something that made him close to the camera (such as on the cam- not two. The movement of the glowing change his mind: “Then, I saw the legs era lens), not out in the secured police mystery fuzz is smooth and even, a sign . . . and it was a human,” he concluded. yard. Furthermore, I realized, the ob- that its weight is being carried and dis- Yet it could not be a real human because ject’s scale is all wrong: assuming—as tributed on four or more legs. In con- it appeared to move effortlessly through people often report and claim—that a trast, human movement on two legs cre- a high chain link fence. So it was “not “ghost” is human sized, what appears ates a distinct vertical bounce with each a real human,” he concluded: “No—a in the police video is far too small to step as our weight shifts from one leg to ghost.” He reported the strange sighting be human. At one point when it moves another moving forward. Based on the to his superiors, who apparently were over the silhouette of a metal fence post, “ghost’s” movement alone (and assum- equally puzzled (“officers cannot explain it appears about the same size—which ing it is a living creature), it’s much more

8 Volume 39 Issue 1 | Skeptical Inquirer [ NEWS AND COMMENT likely to be an insect than a human. ‘’ Scuffles There’s also something important miss- with U.K. Skeptics ing from the video that no one seems to have noticed suggesting its earthy origins: a shadow. The supposedly human-shaped TIM FARLEY ghost, which is relatively small but appears large and solid enough to be seen at a dis- In October 2014 popular British tance on a surveillance camera, does not medium Sally Morgan became cast a shadow on the ground despite flood- embroiled in a public dispute. It lights from above. Shadows of other objects, began when a skeptical activist such as the fence that the ghost is claimed named Mark Tilbrook appeared to move through, are clearly visible on the outside several of Morgan’s shows concrete, yet the ghost casts no shadow. An to distribute educational leaflets to insect on the camera lens, of course, would attendees. The handouts—which not cast a shadow in the parking lot because did not mention Morgan by name it’s not in the parking lot. or make any specific claims about In my research I discovered that, iron- her show—offered some rhetorical ically—in the very parking lot where the questions about psychic abilities that ghost appeared—insects were (acciden- might lead attendees to consider tally) captured by a local cameraman in alternate explanations for what they footage broadcast on Good Morning America were seeing in the show. Other skep- (the video can be viewed at http://abcnews. tics have distributed similar educa- leting campaign and expanded it to go.com/US/mexico-police-catch-ghostly- tional materials at psychic shows in include others who claim psychic intruder-camera/story?id=25771690; see the past. powers. They are calling it Psychic the bugs in the bottom left-hand corner of What triggered the controversy Awareness Month. the screen around 1:20). When filmed up was an incident in which Ms. Mor- On the Friday after the Guard- close, in focus, and in daylight the insect gan’s personal manager and tour ian story, video was released of one doesn’t look strange or mysterious at all, manager (who happened to be her such incident, shot from a lapel but it’s not hard to see why a blurry, un- husband, John Morgan, and her camera Tilbrook was wearing. It identifiable entity seen late at night would son-in-law, Daren Wiltshear) con- documented that it was indeed John appear spooky. I reported my results in an fronted Tilbrook outside an event Morgan and Wiltshear making the article on the DiscoveryNews website, pro- venue in April 2014. According to threats and further showed them viding the first (and only) in-depth skepti- Tilbrook’s October ac count in The making a series of rather shocking cal analysis. Guardian, they threatened him with homophobic remarks about Til- Espanola police are not the first to both legal action and physical vio- brook and other U.K. skeptics. This mistake an insect for a ghost; in fact it’s lence. The threats of violence in- resulted in a large reaction in the happened before. In 2007 an identical cluded claiming to know personal British press. Morgan released a “ghost” was captured on a police surveil- details about his life and saying statement within hours that she lance camera not far away in Santa Fe and that he was “asking to be knocked “does not condone” the behavior in became known as the Santa Fe Court- out” and that he would be “lifted” the video and was not aware of it. house Ghost. After I conducted extensive or made to “disappear.” There fol- But her statement also pretty clearly onsite investigation and field experiments, lowed a letter from Morgan’s attor- put some blame on Tilbrook him- I solved the case and revealed it as an in- ney claiming Tilbrook had libeled self—causing some to refer to it as a sect on the camera lens. For more on that Morgan and demanding compensa- “notpology.” investigation, see “Santa Fe ‘Courthouse tion and legal fees. Morgan has sparred with skep- Ghost’ Mystery Solved” in the Septem- Tilbrook reached out to the tics before. In 2011 she was accused ber/October 2007 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Good Thinking Society, a skepti- by attendees of one of her shows in and chapter 5 of my new book Mysterious cal educa tional nonprofit started by Ireland of using an earpiece to re- New Mexico: , Magic, and Mon- writer Simon Singh. Singh himself ceive cues during a show. (Some sters in the Land of Enchantment. As is successfully defended himself in noted the similarity of these ear- often the case, all that’s needed to raise a libel suit brought by the British piece allegations with James Randi’s the specter of a ghost is an ambiguous Chiropractors in response to his famous investigation of faith healer light along with some imagination and a published criticisms. His group is Peter Popoff in 1986.) She denied lack of investigation. offering Tilbrook legal assistance the claims, claiming the earpiece and also adopted Tilbrook’s leaf- was used to stay in touch with her

Skeptical Inquirer | January/February 2015 9 [ NEWS AND COMMENT stage manager. Simon Singh and oth- claiming that she has “no idea what is ers noted that she stopped using an going to happen to my marriage.” But earpiece in shows shortly thereafter. skeptics reported seeing John alongside QUOTE But when magician wrote Sally at a show venue in Brighton just WORTHY an opinion piece about the incident days later. in the , Morgan sued the Following this the Good Thinking God Not a Magician newspaper for libel. The dispute was Society released a letter from their law- settled out of court for £125,000 (about yer to Morgan’s organization demand- $200,000) with the newspaper apolo- ing a retraction of the allegations about “When we read about creation in gizing and removing the article. Tilbrook from her initial statement. Genesis, we run the risk of imag- In another 2014 incident, skep- Tilbrook reported via Twitter that he ining God was a magician, with a tic blogger Myles Power attended a had received a private letter of apology magic wand able to do everything. Morgan show and reported how the from the two men. Sally Morgan then But that is not so. He created medium made a completely incorrect announced that she would no longer human beings and let them develop reading, leading to laughter from the be signing autographs after any of her according to the internal laws that audience. This occurred because the shows until further notice. The two he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment. . . . God is audience member had misunderstood web statements from Morgan were re- not a demigod or a magician, but the instructions to bring a photo of a moved from her website before the end the creator who brought everything dead relative and had instead brought a of October. to life. . . . The Big Bang, which younger photo of herself. Morgan mis- Good Thinking Society contin- nowadays is posited as the origin takenly gave a detailed reading about ued their Psychic Awareness Month of the world, does not contradict the supposed dead relative, not picking throughout October 2014, providing the divine act of creating, but rather up that the person in the photo was leaflets for skeptics to distribute not only requires it. The evolution of nature right in front of her! at Morgan’s shows but at the shows of does not contrast with the notion of In the week after the release of the other U.K. such as Derek creation, as evolution presupposes video and Morgan’s statement, the Acorah and Colin Fry. They reported the creation of beings that evolve.” video received over 150,000 views on that the staff at the other two psychics’ YouTube. Continued discussion of it shows “behaved impeccably each time.” —Pope Francis, October 27, 2014, online and in the press prompted a sec- Mark Tilbrook appeared on several TV addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the ond public statement from Morgan in programs to talk about the campaign, in n Vatican to discuss “Evolving Concepts which she “sacked” both her husband one case with Colin Fry. of Nature.” and son-in-law who will have “noth- ing more to do with Sally Morgan’s Tim Farley is a skeptical activist and the business.” She ended the statement by creator and curator of whatstheharm.net.

THE 16TH EUROPEAN SKEPTICS CONGRESS LONDON 2015 11th - 13th September

The 16th European Skeptics Congress will be held at Goldsmiths College, University of London, from September 11 to 13, 2015. The Congress is jointly organized by the Association for Skeptical Enquiry (ASKE) and Goldsmith College’s Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit (APRU). Events will include keynote addresses by distinguished speakers, formal presenta- tions, debates, and poster presentations, plus a pre-congress session and meetings in the evenings. A section of the Congress will cover research at APRU. Visit the Congress website below for up-to-date information concerning the www.euroscepticscon.org program, registration and accommodations.

Skeptical Inquirer | January/February 2015 11