Witchcraft accusations are not uncommon in Liberia – nor in other African countries, as can be read in my recent post of August 18 and older posts.

I’ve commented in older posts on the outdated practice of witchcraft accusations and related maltreatment, sassywood practices (trial by ordeal) and mob justice. For briefness sake I present here some of my earlier posts on this subject. The reader is warned that some graphic details may be shocking.

Accusations of witchcraft are not limited to a particular area, county, town, village or tribe, as the following lists shows. Moreover, it must be emphasized that reported cases are usually the tip of an iceberg. It must be feared that many cases remain unreported.

Liberia: School expels K-1 pupil for alleged witchcraft
March 20, 2021

Liberia: woman dies after reportedly taking ‘sassywood’ to clear her innocence from witchcraft allegations
August 29, 2020

Liberia: adolescent girl tortured, accused of witchcraft
July 5, 2020

Liberia: Police and Gender Ministry rescue 29 children accused of witchcraft in Nimba County
January 18, 2020

Liberia: Maryland police arrest eight suspects for murdering three for witchcraft
September 9, 2019

Liberia: Sinoe County ‘Witchcraft Case’ transferred to Grand Bassa County
August 31, 2019

Also, during the back-to-back civil wars (1989-2003) witchcraft accusations as well as other ritual abuse and practices including cannibalism were a cruel realty, see my October 2022 post, Atrocities, witchcraft, superstition and ritualistic cannibalism during Liberia’s First Civil War (1989-1997).
(webmaster FVDK)

Liberia: Elderly woman killed over witchcraft accusation in Maryland County; five arrested.

Published: August 19, 2025
By: Christian Appleton – GNN General News network, Liberia

Source: Elderly woman killed over witchcraft accusation in Maryland County; five arrested.