____________________________________________

Child sacrifice is the ritualistic killing of children in order to please, propitiate or force supernatural beings in order to achieve a desired result. As such, it is a form of human sacrifice.
(Wikipedia)

____________________________________________

I am reminded of a short story that Form 5 students had to study for the Literature component of the English paper in the SPM.

Looking for a Rain God is a short story written by Bessie Head.

The story is in rural Botswana, Africa, where the people basically farm off the vast bush land. The year is 1958.

An African family’s desperate struggle against a 7-year drought leads to witchcraft and tragedy. Mokgobja and his family go to clear and plough their land. Their hopes are dashed when the rain only lasts for 2 weeks. Fearing the starvation that they have to face the following year, Mokgobja’s daughter-in-law and her sister, become hysterical. Mokgobja remembers an ancient rain-making ceremony which involves the ritual sacrifice of young children to appease Rain God. Mokgobja and his son Ramadi, sacrifice Ramadi’s two young daughters.

Unfortunately, the rain does not come. Eventually, Mokgobja and his family return to the village, filled with despair, guilt and fear. The other villagers become suspicious about the missing children. Soon the police arrive and Tiro, the children’s mother, breaks down and confesses. Finally, Mokgobja and his son are sentenced to death.

__________________________________________

BBC

11 October 2011 Last updated at 21:03 GMT

Where child sacrifice is a business

By Chris Rogers BBC News, Kampala

The work of the police task force has been strongly criticised by the UK-based charity, Jubilee Campaign.

It says in a report that the true number of cases is in the hundreds, and claims more than 900 cases have yet to be investigated by the police because of corruption and a lack of resources.

‘Quiet money’

—————————–

————————————————————