Warning: This article contains descriptions of violence, intended solely to reflect the facts and raise social awareness.
A horrifying act of brutality has recently shaken the entire nation of Papua New Guinea. After the suspicious death of a female teacher from the Magarima district in Hela Province, a wave of barbaric retaliation followed: a woman, completely innocent, was tortured and ultimately executed on a bridge—her final moments captured in a viral video circulating on social media.
The gruesome incident occurred in the Teru Ipa Ugu area, under the Upper Wage Local Level Government in Hela Province. In the shocking video, a woman dressed in a yellow blouse and skirt is seen blindfolded and dragged onto the Wage Bridge. Men can be heard shouting in the local language: “The car is coming,” “Stand up,” then commanding her to “Sit down.” A gunshot then pierces the valley’s silence, followed by a chilling stillness—and then, disturbingly, a cheer erupts from the onlookers.
The video is believed to have been filmed between July 1 and 3, 2025. It has since spread widely across social platforms, sparking outrage and grief throughout the country.
Hela Governor Philip Undialu confirmed that police have launched an investigation and dispatched the 9th Mobile Squad to the Magarima area to assist. Hela Provincial Police Commander Michael Welly stated that a manhunt is underway for all those involved.
The tragedy reportedly stemmed from the death of a local female teacher. Villagers, without evidence, accused three women of using sorcery to “eat the teacher’s heart,” causing her death.
The three women were abducted and subjected to inhumane abuse. Two were eventually released, but one remained captive. After enduring severe sexual torture, she was ultimately executed.
Even more disturbing are three videos that have emerged in recent days. In one, several adult men—many of whom are fathers—are seen repeatedly jabbing firewood and iron rods into the woman’s genitals. She cries out in agony, pleading: “I didn’t eat [anything]!” One of the men cruelly responds: “Push it in!” The sheer savagery captured in these images reveals a terrifying collapse of humanity in the face of death and superstition.
The public has responded with horror and disgust. Many online have condemned the act as a “monstrous atrocity,” “hell on earth,” and “the deepest form of violence and humiliation against women.”
Magarima MP and Minister for Bougainville Affairs, Manasseh Makiba, joined the governor in calling for the perpetrators to immediately surrender and face justice under the law.
This appalling tragedy serves as another grim reminder of the dangers of backward beliefs and extrajudicial tribal punishments. The use of “sorcery” as a justification for torture and murder in the 21st century is a stain on civilization and a serious challenge to national governance. Superstition is not faith. Violence is never justice.
