Six years after the killing of 90-year-old Akua Denteh shocked the nation, Amnesty International is pressing Ghanaian authorities to end what it describes as a dangerous delay in passing the Anti-Witchcraft Accusations Bill. The human rights organization says the slow pace of action is leaving victims without the protection the state is obliged to provide.
Akua Denteh was lynched on July 23, 2020, after being branded a witch. Video from the attack showed two women beating her in disturbing scenes that drew widespread outrage. In 2023, the two were found guilty of manslaughter and each received a 12-year prison sentence.
Amnesty said in a statement that the threat has not ended with that conviction, warning that many women accused of witchcraft are still being forced to abandon their homes and communities because they fear for their lives.
