An investigation into Sierra Leone's underground trade in human body parts has exposed individuals claiming to supply organs and limbs for purported ritual magic ceremonies. Two people posing as practitioners of juju offered to obtain body parts for substantial fees, with one demanding the equivalent of $3,000 for female limbs and another alleging connections to a network of 250 collaborators.
Authorities struggle to prosecute these cases in a nation with just one pathologist serving 8.9 million residents. An 11-year-old boy was found murdered with organs, eyes, and an arm removed, yet police never officially classified it as a ritual killing. A university lecturer disappeared and turned up buried at a herbalist's shrine, but those detained on bail have yet to face trial.
Traditional healers distance themselves from the illegal practitioners, working to establish legitimate medicine clinics while assisting police raids. Researchers estimate that 90 percent of perpetrators escape apprehension, with many deaths misclassified as accidents or animal attacks.
Authorities struggle to prosecute these cases in a nation with just one pathologist serving 8.9 million residents. An 11-year-old boy was found murdered with organs, eyes, and an arm removed, yet police never officially classified it as a ritual killing. A university lecturer disappeared and turned up buried at a herbalist's shrine, but those detained on bail have yet to face trial.
Traditional healers distance themselves from the illegal practitioners, working to establish legitimate medicine clinics while assisting police raids. Researchers estimate that 90 percent of perpetrators escape apprehension, with many deaths misclassified as accidents or animal attacks.
