Posted on 05/14/2005 1:10:18 PM PDT by wagglebee
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzanian police arrested two men accused of killing a 9-year-old boy and selling his skin for 20,000 shillings ($18) to make sorcerers' get-rich-quick charms, a senior officer said Friday.
Police said they arrested Martin Kalunga, 25, and his associate Nico Benson, 31, in Lilwa village in southern Tanzania Tuesday after neighbors overheard Benson accusing Kalunga of plotting with their buyer to skin him as well.
The identity of the buyer was unclear.
"The two were arrested after they had a loud quarrel, because Benson suspected Martin of colluding with their buyer to skin him," Suleiman Kova, police commander for the southern Mbeya region, told Reuters.
"During interrogation, Martin confessed that they were both skinners and that they had skinned a boy in Mbozi six months ago. They then threw his body into the river Jianga," Kova said.
"These cases are few but are very shocking," he said.
Kova said police expected to charge the pair once they had completed investigations into the identity of the victim, whose remains have not been found.
He said he was not aware of any report of a missing child that would match the description given by the suspects, but police were still making inquiries.
Human skins are used by witch doctors to make charms or potions designed to make their users rich, especially in southern Tanzania, renowned as a center for traditional sorcery.
Police say the once rampant practice has decreased significantly in recent years due to tougher action by the authorities, describing this as the first suspected skinning case in southern Tanzania since April 2004.
Kova said there were three reported cases of skinning in 2003 and 14 suspects have been arrested since April last year in relation to various skinning cases, although providing evidence of skin removal is often difficult.
"We have to find a body and do a post mortem to have a good case," Kova said.
Remember.....
All cultures are equal..
All "religions" are worthy of respect...
Bravo Sierra
Semper Fi
What's the problem? It is only a different culture. Haven't you been paying attention? Multiculturalism is a good thing don'tcha know.
More Aztecs.
More gifts to the world from Mother Africa.
Isn't Tanzania where Teressseeeezzzzzzza comes from?
Yes, how quickly we forget that some religions condone barbariy and we should be "sensitive" to that, in fact children should be taught this in school as it is an acceptable and possibly desireable alternative to America's Judeo-Chrisian hypocrisy./extreme sarcasm off
shoot yeah....you gotta be able to make your charms....where else are you going to get human skin except off of humans?
See #7
No she's from Mozambique, which is equally uncivilized judging from the State Department's website.
http://visa.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_976.html
DAR ES SALAAM . "House of peace". Interesting name for a place, such as this. Bloody animals the lot of 'em.
Jeff
Just when you think it couldn't get more sickening, something like this comes along.
Totally appalling!
Remember, Dar es Salaam (land of peace) is a good place. Dar al Harb (land of war) where you and I and other infidels live, is a bad place.
Very bad for us, indeed.
$18.?
They need a better business plan
Without lawyers, the costs are very low.
Doesn't seem much different from what goes on in Pinellas County these days 'cept they reduce the skin to ash and don't use it.
What a lovely culture.
/sarcasm off.....now?
Bout as good as raping widows to ensure their dead husbands "rest well."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.