WUNRN
http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-woman-accused-of-witchcraft-beaten-to-death-in-libertad-peru-102058
Citizen patrol memebers accused 68-year-old of practicing black magic.
By Rachel Chase – January 23, 2014
A 68-year-old woman was beaten to death by a group of citizen patrol members (called “ronderos”) in the La Libertad region of Peru. The group reportedly killed her because they suspected that the woman was using black magic to kill her own son.
La Republica reports that the woman, Elesmira Zárate, was held by the ronderos for two days and forced to undergo punishment, including physical abuse and being forced to walk for substantial distances.
Her kneeling body was found in the town of Pichimpampa, apparently after the victim’s family asked for assistance from the district attorney’s office in retrieving her remains for burial. The body was taken to a nearby morgue for examination.
According to RPP Noticias, investigators found injuries on the woman’s abdomen, as well as marks on her neck indicating that she had been choked. Bruises found on her legs, RPP reports, may indicate that she was tortured before dying.
Local legal authorities have ordered the arrest of three ronderos who are suspected to have been involved in Zárate’s death. RPP reports that the ronderos maintain that the woman died from a pre-existing illness and not because of any physical punishments inflicted by the group.