UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay calledThursday for increased
protection for people with albinism, after the barbaric murder of a
40-year-old woman with albinism in north-western Tanzania on 12 May.
“This
killing and the terrible circumstances surrounding it sadly demonstrate
that the human rights situation of people with albinism in Tanzania and
other countries, remains dire,” Pillay said.
According
to police reports, Munghu Lugata was brutally murderedMonday night at
her home in Mwachalala, a village in Simiyu region, north-western
Tanzania. Her attackers chopped off her left leg above the knee, two of
her fingers and the upper part of her left thumb, apparently while she
was still alive.
These
attacks, which are often motivated by the use of body parts for ritual
purposes, have claimed the lives of at least 73 people with albinism in
Tanzania since 2000. Ms Lugata’s murder is the first reported killing of
someone with albinism in Tanzania in 2014.
Pillay welcomed the rapid response of the police, who arrested two local witchdoctors on 13 May.
“The
fight against impunity is a key component for prevention and deterrence
of the crimes targeting this exceptionally vulnerable community,” Pillay
said, while noting that victims often face significant difficulties in
bringing their cases to justice, fearing retaliatory attacks or further
stigmatization. Without effective and affordable access to justice, many
cannot claim their rights.
The High
Commissioner stressed that States’ obligation to investigate and
prosecute perpetrators of such crimes is particularly critical due to
the vulnerability of people with albinism. States must also ensure
access to effective remedies, redress and rehabilitation, including
medical and psychological care for survivors and victims’ families.
“All over
the world, people with albinism continue to face attacks or suffer
terrible discrimination, stigma and social exclusion,” said the High
Commissioner. The UN Human Rights Office has received reports of more
than 200 cases of attacks against people with albinism in 15 countries
between 2000 and 2013, but it is believed the actual number could be
much higher.
The High
Commissioner also expressed concern about the appalling living
conditions in at least of Tanzania’s 13 centres for displaced children
and adults with special needs. These centres host hundreds of children
with albinism who have been abandoned by their families or have fled
their homes out of fear of being attacked or killed. Some are
administrated by the Government while others are run by faith-based
organizations.
The 13
shelters are overcrowded, with very poor health and hygiene conditions.
Many of the children with albinism living there reportedly suffer from
skin cancer, partly due to the lack of awareness of the staff about a
number of simple steps that can be taken to prevent this disease. Cases
of sexual abuse have also been reported in some of these centres. Due to
the very limited human and financial resources, teaching and learning
materials are reported to be almost non-existent in most of them.
“I urge
the Tanzanian authorities to take urgent measures to assess and address
the situation in these centres, including allegations of sexual
harassment and abuse, and the poor living conditions. The staff working
with people with albinism should be trained on their special needs, in
particular with regard to basic preventive measures to avoid skin
cancer,” Pillay said.
The High
Commissioner also called upon the Tanzanian authorities to take urgent
concrete measures to protect people with albinism, and to actively
engage in the fight against stigma attached to albinism through
education and awareness-raising campaigns
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