From today’s Daily Monitor:
About 2,000 pupils of Nakasongola Junior Academy were yesterday sent home indefinitely after what the school administration described as ‘escalated incidences of evil spirit attacks.
The school is a day and boarding primary school in Migeera Town, Nakasongola District. The attacks have since been attributed to witchcraft. The school administration took the decision over the weekend after numerous consultative meetings with directors.
Pupils injured:
At least 26 pupils are reportedly admitted to Nakasongola Health Centre IV with injuries they say were sustained after being physically attacked by evil spirits.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Francis Ssebitosi, the school headmaster said the school would remain closed for three days as the administration ‘seeks a way forward’. “Our school, like many others in this area, has been affected by evil spirit for very many years but in the last month these attacks have escalated and we felt it would be best to send the children to their parents,” he said.
This is yet another case of an uncritical media report lending credence to the notion of the efficacy of witchcraft.
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Where is the skeptical angle in this story?
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Why didn’t the reporter talk to the students who were allegedly attacked by evil spirits?
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Why no comment from the doctors at the health centre where the injured students were attended to?
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What about the police?
Freethought Kampala will definitely be looking into this.
4 comments
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October 28, 2010 at 11:55 am
Erlend Alvestad
Both the reality of witchcraft in Uganda and your work to expose it have made an impression on me. Lots of thanks from a new reader.
October 28, 2010 at 2:38 pm
James Onen
Thanks Erlend 🙂
October 28, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Bruce Gorton
But there were evil spirits. The ghosts of Jack Daniels and Johnnie Walker lead the charge, with the dread pirate Captain Morgan bringing up the rear.
That’s without even bringing in that dread spectre – the Russian Bear.
October 28, 2010 at 11:51 pm
James Onen
LOL