all remaining members of the usa gymnastics board have agreed to step down of the former team doctor larry nasser was jailed for sexually abusing female gymnasts follows a demand for the resignation from the u.s. olympic committee over the handling of the abuse claims. donald trump has told the world economic forum that the u.s. will not turn a blind eye to unfair trade practices the u.s. president insisted his country is open for business but he also stuck by his america first message plans to return rangar refugees from bangladesh to me and in dart after falling out between a u.s. diplomat and myanmar's government bill richardson says he resigned from an advisory role on the ring of crisis after telephone conversation with leader and son suchi the president of democratic republic of congo's promised elections will go ahead as planned in december in his first speech in six years as waves of protests calling on joseph kabila to quit he is still in office more than

a year after his official mandate expired those are the headlines the news continues but first it is one to one east. we understand the differences. and the similarities of cultures across the world so no matter how you take it al-jazeera will bring you the news and current affairs that matter to al-jazeera. but. look at. it in papa new guinea a growing wave of witch hunts is sweeping across the country women accused of causing sickness and deaths by sorcery are being brutally tortured and executed with authorities struggling to contain the violence the deaths of innocent women

are going on punished i'm steve charland this additional one of one yes we investigate the dark and violent side up in new guinea pigs teaching practice. in. the pacific island nation of papa new guineans home to some of the world's most anxious traditions and mysterious from a child. that belief in black magic has cost him a shadow over this country of seven million pork i want them gone and i should be a. muslim some guides an e-mail on the question why believe. the torture and killing of suspected sorceresses growing innocent people's objections just for find which are they up to the woman and when the torture them when they give it to the

woman is really a new man as a pop when you can use police force struggles to contain the spread of witch hunts it has been criticized for committing its own was a human rights in the sense that both i'm just going to bring them up but they really believe that there's no washing. to investigate the violent world of sorcery killings i'm traveling to the robert highlands ranch in the heart of country. to move province as one of the highest numbers of which chance and i've come to. by. memory of the brutal attack. she was set upon by five teenagers with machetes accused of causing the death of her son through witchcraft. should throw their name or big bad name in day. i mean day now same time and they.

all have gotten an established only cover that is unique or not by. a little money and they. do this i want to show my long i mean they are always and all of them biting. tonight abandoned house she was tortured by the server while. the dog. bite him in oak him by. calling bush no no i demand make ameera look like a skin moon are both. this tribe never to come wish i was glad to be i say not before the one that made new year and one dead member who could name brought me no mean base that no one wanted for. denise showed me the scars. open my letters where.

my. denise spent more than a year in hospital but with nowhere else to go she returned to the community that attacked. me most was there were never a bathroom with over move both of water. we start there me thinking of overheard some but they were very cute remember me very very. in many parts of the highlands medical explanations for sickness and death are rejected most believe witchcraft to be the cause of physical illness with women subjected to reach chance by groups of young men and the entire village often gathers and spectators to the abuse. in chambers main town of young on suspicion of

sorcery and so widespread that merely discussing witchcraft could lead to a chance. for survivors the only support comes from human rights volunteers like monica pallas monica travels throughout the highlands finding survivors of witch hunts and moving them out of danger she became a volunteer after meeting deni carl the first time i went to help out like i was just traumatized. chills did anyone truly like this shocking thing in my life and i was thinking like this is traded in your memory i don't think any you're going to destroy any woman. there is some very risky doing this work monica says the nature of her work means she too often becomes the target of violence welcome at the gate the people think like you are doing this work because you are a so-so right you'll sell this way you are trying to defend. kill your card so it's

very risky but if you don't do it those got to do it that's the thing. monica has brought me to the general hospital where she's checking on the welfare of baby orphaned by recent which aren't. for three months so i'm going to sit on my blimp took them a look at them oh my god i'm not saying to pop up and then not get them on my blog and saw the full flavor. the child's mother maher soiree was tortured into mind following the death of her husband. the man's family refused to accept that he died of natural causes and blamed morrow for causing his death through sorcery because if there is a man in slow death in the community authentic a bit here's the woman that wife to be the sole sarette. apple n.d. was mars friend and neighbor and told me she heard

a woman scream soon after news of the husband's death reached the village. along able. by the whole planet. i now want to. find you know. this long name. mars remains were found in a shallow grave less than fifty meters from had bill each she had been burnt and suffered deep wounds from machetes and axis in her village the house she was tortured in has been abandoned out of fear of the spirits. apple is now caring for maurice baby when we have come to me enough to warn you. it was a lot of been given up on your belief. most of the village witnessed the attack but

refused to speak to police out of fear that they too will be targeted. so when on our. last night it's like the news of. travels throughout the highlands i.e. harrowing tales of atrocities in almost every. paper trying to speak openly of killing which is. more. this is marcus kearney i'm here to taking part in a rethinking. of sorcery. we were. i'm not let's see we've got the douglas angle one now marcus and a group of men soon identified a suspect who they tortured for hours. on this but i just figure you.

finish the day and i'm killing mine on day one shot them getting straight no limb and. stick. them giving them slightly in. morton and. most of the block i'm walking to the. nation they're looking at. marcus since he feels protected by the remoteness of the village and is not afraid of being caught. live. look i mean listen now we're not even doesn't know we don't and that got us good or said that only that only that there was so much muglia now a family doing and look so awesome my lovely lovely even though not.

marcus told me he knew me joins in the killing of accused which is the fear of sorcery power is spreading. were ever i go in the country nearly every person i meet believes in witchcraft sorcery is part of the million isn't believe it is a believe that did a person process a creature you know within him or here and did this a potential to cause sickness or death of another person. jackie romney is a leading researcher of sorcery beliefs and has published extensively on which killings it is important for people in the way to cater to explain that sickness and death are caused by in. bacteria or virus you know this kind of things we have to change the belief system of the people to change the mindset.

which chance typically begin during papa new guinea's traditional funeral service known as the house. i was crying so some morning you know when someone dies those who are suspect or processing power are brought to the temple place. and they try to you know into a gate you know they try to make them tell whether they are responsible for the c.e.o. for the death or not. many that survived the attacks and later were abandoned by their families shunned and isolated from the rest of the village. but in some cases families show immense bravery in defending their loved ones from witch hunts. mary peter was attacked by seven men armed with machetes during a funeral service for a baby legal and out loud sort of voice step along house much. bloody all men made

it was that we don't know what one of us any less lybia all boys you'll get i'm not your definition woman someone you begin in the u.k. give beginning in baby name day. mary's husband peter carnley dragged her to safety as she was being attacked but not before the witch hunt had inflicted serious injuries. mostly in the league well that's less skinny come out now number two and got the meme clue in there to let skinny go come over moose now way bringuier. after the attack peter and his wife were held at gunpoint before scaping into the mountains who knew what he looked like program. we caught him then we come out it. didn't fit in with to me because i went there one day and i mean i remember about you know what their motive for going to be on free me. but of them were numbered enough to let me freedom train with me

. them to me. going to see me you would know one thing but also want to call in. the book i. use of people one of sending me but that one they of course had the misfortune to go through them what i put on but the one thing you took. several weeks after i first met human rights defend him on a compound was i traveled to her home when i arrived a neighbor shows me an empty house and monica's few possessions are the stolen or destroyed from the money. i'm told a group of young men armed with guns and machetes broke in during the night. i find monica several hours away she says and early warning allowed her to escape

someone told me like i couldn't so i must not stay in the house so i moved but in the morning when i came back like bells was broken in. monaco was targeted for preventing the torture of a nine year old girl accused of sorcery. the we chant began after a baby drowned in a nearby river they left the baby on the side of the riverbank with the other kids they were playing. but it turned around and realized that the baby was not the real bank that they left and being with them could drown them but carried over by their real already. and often without family protection the nine year old girl was immediately seen down as. sorceror and blamed for the death they locked in the house and they started questioning. as to how she killed the baby when asked. if you did. so out of fear. but they. saw i knew they would be

a lot of danger. at the back of what i've been doing but i really felt that they should really help. now a victim herself monica tells me she's thinking of stopping her work helping others . getting really tired and i come back i feel like i'd like there are times that i feel like i just quit what i'm doing and just you know sit back and. think about myself what i should do this because when i look and think about it it's like this little support security guarantee that. most of the sorcery attacks women and sometimes men who pursued norbert soon and his mother angelo. and sherry and. their bodies were thrown into a communal toilet pit a finally common to sorcery killings. police told me they could not find the men

responsible but desire discovered one of them wanted for questioning still lives at the crime scene are in my mind denies having any involvement but gives a detailed account of the witch hunt only got some going to be suspect. something so sorry so comment up or. suspect most up. so just make me. mantilla they don't fundamentally want to we can take them some of us not. lebanon certainly the attackers then turned to the mother of the murdered man. but it's not just was an important. sampled only.

a period of futile violence followed in retribution for the killings entire villages would break down and people were forced from their homes but there were no regrets of the witch hunt. action you one of them bear not know what it will tell all and. you will want to suspect them of them because of the modern game and we got to kind of a general totally let. them down and yes i know them come up here. and make some balance in. the brother of the victim most assume told me he was angry the killings remained free and said he was preparing to take the law into his hands alone go moving mission you think you know me monday show me thinking oh i'm going to move i need to be induced an election labor all this and thought that a lot of would mix in the b.b.c. we do know we can wait mr one thing will remove all these low.

level modi fleet well money killing little bit. when you don't look in a month or. two global leading. them to last so in the old gentleman coming from the muslim do over stop for a later time. most victims of sorcery attacks can expect little help from the law police and pop when you get around to stop and under-resourced corruption is rife and witchcraft has such an entrenched following in this country that police often lack the will and motivation to investigate. michael welch is the senior commander of the police station as a local man with strong beliefs he says witch hunts and necessary to protect people

from sorcery. socially exorcise and the result was loosely of someone who died at the pushkin or that we're seeing so i'm still alive so. commander welsh dismisses the global condemnation of pop when you get the charts and says outside views should not be imposed on the country. we would rather we'll see the. rights of people who want to come to. use the socialist or totally any less. if we. are not to know when the world will have no. human rights abuse but anyone. can get through for us. then why. use a little. alley exactly to get rid of us.

that. we were just going to include. many survivors don't include taps because they say police will never investigate but others refuse to give up several months after he rescued his wife mary from attack i find he to cali outside the police station he's identified. one of the suspects to police simone you stop a bus going to the not of a thought figure what on earth are not me you come looking for the spanish for twenty third you know you start up you know you watch but my. pater is angry the police have not investigated the witch hunt that nearly killed his wife. for. big money in continual in the just him a lot more like money. but every number.

i can determine today arista men he dispensed seven hours detailing the case to police. eventually officers make. this new law. what is money sex you love a guy that. doesn't have the only suspect someone might. yeah. police made the arrest but investigations of the charts are extremely rare. but with a growing international outrage to some sort of police and slowly being pressured to take action. francis is a detective with the homicide squad and says police often find it difficult to investigate which chance it will work and this will. conduct him believe

because it will monitor whether some believe. after reports we chanted north of the province offices agree need to join the search for the perpetrators. globally. you mustn't blame. the last and sometimes. police often least relatives of the victims and local villages to help catch the suspect. after traveling boys from the same alleys one of the suspects spotted on the side road. police in villages attempt to arrest. me down on him. one on one and would have to go up and go police.

although one man gets away the second suspect is captured and taken into custody and one of the recruit spends a personal song that it was possible that we've been able to move on or want to just. do it. i'm going to. put down. one phone without which i. wouldn't. know who they are the only. one of. the many little you know no good. muslim that. i want but. the government. told the prime suspect. talking to us to me they don't want other people because

they. were my friend a member somebody should let me push you know you remember me one. of. them and we're going to meet him i'm just so i'm going to bring them up but they really know what. not to do you know you're not going to look at me little boy this is all you. the police are also involved in causing a lot of abuses in human rights when you look at the police brutality when a perpetrate this broad you will see them start punching them and to me it's like they don't know about their human rights so there should be a lot of training and. patience in them. right now man undeterred by threats to her life monica continues to help victims of

the chants and he's urging the national government to stand sparing human rights disaster the government of top wanted me to look seriously into this cases and they should work with human rights defenders on the ground the community leaders the police everyone has to get involved because the violence is really getting out of it and it's really increasing. in one word that the government. the people the leaders everyone is still work together. monica is one of the voices brave enough to speak out against the brutality which adds fuel listening and fear of sorcery is growing attacks against the u.s. and spreading across papa new guinea and becoming more brazen. and is the number should continue just rides. i have only just begun.

they're the children of jailed chinese criminals with nowhere else to go one shelter is giving them a home when i want the children growing up with their parents behind bars at this time when al jazeera al jazeera is there with us to embrace but it's also good to see what happens next which. is fired by the leaders where mobile barricaded all seven streets that believe to hear the movies now has been all about change people have gone to hear the area the mission of the national army is to search the entire point complex and i'll just your stories about telling it from the people's perspective what they think is happening in their culture. now. it's the school election and the candidates are pulling out all the stops. i mean if you haven't read in my.

mind the outcome as i said in this telling me as a society i don't follow vote at this time on al-jazeera. this is really an attack on a cruise itself is a lot of misunderstanding of what free speech is supposed to be about the context is hugely important setting the stage for a serious debate up front at this time on al-jazeera. no major breakthrough in the latest un led talks to bring peace to syria now the opposition is boycotting next week's such a meeting hosted by russian.