Recently, the body of 8 year old Caroline Aya was found a short walk away from her house in Jinja, Uganda – her tongue cut out. Police believe that she was used as a sacrifice in a ritual killing, believed to bring wealth or health.
Caroline’s father, Balluonzima Chris, said that: "If it is a sickness you try to treat it, and if they die that is one thing, but when you slaughter a person like a goat, that is not easy."
Of late Uganda has seen a drastic rise in human sacrifices where body parts, most often facial features or genitals are cut off and used ceremonially. Children make up over half the statistics of people killed in ritual murders, and the situation is becoming so dire that the U.S. recently donated $500,000 to train 2,000 Ugandan police in investigating offences related to human trafficking, which includes ritual killings.
Ugandan police have since established an Anti-Human Sacrifice Taskforce. Other countries such as India, Indonesia, South Africa, Gabon and Tanzania also struggle with humans being used in ritual killings as sacrifices. However, the drastic rise in Uganda of late seems to come from a desire for riches and the belief that drugs made from human organs can bring wealth. Some experts believe that this situation is being fueled by the popularity of violent Nigerian films which share common story lines: someone gaining riches after sacrificing a human.
However, the rise in human sacrifices in Uganda appears to come from a desire for wealth and a belief that drugs made from human organs can bring riches, according to task force head Moses Binoga. They may be fueled by a spate of violent Nigerian films that are growing in popularity, and showcase a common story line: A family reaping riches after sacrificing a human.
The situation is compounded by the fact that of around 30 people charged with ritual killing last year, not one has yet been convicted. The last conviction was in 200, says the Associated Press.
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