"We Were Born a Target": At Least 13 People with Albinism Killed in Madagascar This Year

A wave of brutal violence in Madagascar: at least 13 people with albinism have been killed this year, most of them children, with their heads severed due to a superstition that their body parts bring wealth and political success. An 18-month-old toddler was abducted and her head found in a suitcase. Parents are hiding their children for fear of kidnapping.

A brutal wave of violence is sweeping Madagascar: at least 13 people with albinism have been killed this year, most of them young children, with their heads severed. The murders are driven by superstitions that the body parts of people with albinism, especially their eyes, are considered talismans ensuring wealth, political success, and good luck. One of the most severe cases occurred at the end of May on the outskirts of Toliara: Landrisia, an 18-month-old toddler, was abducted from her mother's arms near midnight. Her body was found in the home of a local witch doctor, with her head hidden in a suitcase. Her mother said the attackers also threatened to kill her. Behind the murders are organized crime networks operating alongside armed cattle rustlers and witch doctors. Parents of children with albinism are hiding their children at home and only allowing them out during daylight hours accompanied by adults. Fulgence Soja, president of the organization "Albinos Madagascar" and himself a person with albinism, said: "We were born to be targets."