RSS Feed
June 6th, 2016 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : A six-year-old albino boy has been murdered and dismembered by unknown assailants in the central Mozambican city of Chimoio. The murder is believed to be linked to the use of human albino body parts in traditional “medicines” and rituals or cultural prejudice.
School children in Tanzania. Children with albinism are very vulnerable to attack, mutilation and murder. EPA/Johan Baevman
Local residents found what remained of the body of the six-year-old Faztudo Filipe on Monday morning in the Mudzingandze area of Chimoio. His remains, missing his arms, legs and hair, had been dumped in a sack.
Leonardo Colher, the head of public relations in the Manica Provincial Police Command, told the public that it was presumed the killers had taken the murdered boy’s limbs and hair for superstitious purposes. Colher would explain that:
“Mozambique appears to have imported from Tanzania the notion that body parts of albinos contain certain miraculous powers, and when used in black magic rituals can bring wealth and power … The bandits cut the boy into pieces. .. They took the hair, the arms and the legs and abandoned the rest of the body in a sack”.
Colher is, however, wrong when he claims that the “traditional killing and use” of Albino body parts has been “imported from Tanzania”. Attacks on people with albinism are rife in Africa. Superstitions abound about people with this condition: for example, it is believed that their body parts are potent charms to bring fortune and good luck. Some believe that drinking the blood of people with albinism will imbue them with super strength. What is correct, however, is that Tanzania is one of the African countries that has failed most miserably at addressing the problem and at protecting those affected by albinism.
The head of public relations in the Manica Provincial Police Command said that this is the first murder of an albino citizen reported in Manica. Colher added that this crime shocked the residents. He said:
“We already have some information from the victim’s family and from witnesses. The boy was well known in his neighborhood. We are working to gather all the clues to neutralize the criminals”. This phenomenon is a reality. It’s happening. ..People are being deceived and they are killing albinos, thinking this will make them rich. As parents we have to be attentive, and help protect people who have problems with their skin pigmentation. We must denounce to the police and to other authorities if we come across any crime of trafficking in human body parts”.
Colher urged to the public to participate in educating those who hold superstitious beliefs about albinism. He also took the opportunity to appeal to parents and guardians of albino children to be more vigilant and to denounce any situation that might put their lives at risk.
CH/L – nsnbc 06.06.2016
Related article:
Tanzania is still failing to protect its children who live with albinism
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/06/06/six-year-old-albino-boy-in-mozambique-murdered-for-his-body-parts/
Posted in 
