SARV REPORT LAUNCHED; AIMS TO RESPOND AND PREVENT SARV IN PNG

Photo Caption: Minster for Community Development, Youth and religion Hon. Jason Peter officially launched the 2025 SARV Report at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby.

By Lethisa KOLOKOL
THE 2025 SARV Report “No One Should Stand Alone,” a critical document was launched yesterday.

The report is aimed at addressing and preventing Sorcery Accusation Related Violence (SARV) in PNG following extensive and in-dept research, looking at case studies and interactions from the 7 Highlands provinces in the country.
The SARV report titled “No One Should Stand Alone” research was carried out by researchers from the National Research Institute, the Australian University, Melanesian Institute and the Divine Word University, backed with the support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

While presenting a brief of the SARV report, Professor Fr Phillip Gibbs, one of the researchers’ said there are two key insights obtained from the research, the first is SARV is widespread across the country, making it difficult to generalize it. The other issue is the lack of reliable data.

The SARV report was officially launched by the Minster for Community Development, Youth and religion Hon. Jason Peter, witnessed by Chairman of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, Hon. Powes Parkop, along with other Members of Parliament, Department Secrataries, development partners and other dignitaries.
In PNG, where geography is major challenge for the effective implementation of policies and National Actions Plans, research is vital to effectively addressing an issue, particularly SARV.

“Sorcery or Sanguma in PNG has two basic forms, the first is, the embodied cannibalistic spirit belief, where women are usually accused of practicing”. The second form is ritual based sorcery beliefs, often referred to as poison or even assault sorcery, men are usually accused of this form.” Fr Gibbs said.

Discussions releveled that communities are not speaking up or doing enough to protect those are accused of practicing sorcery.

The focus going forward is on the Community Curriculum aimed at engaging local communities to be realise the confusion of SARV, to find a voice and communicate openly to stop violence directed to persons suspected of Sorcery.