Witch Hunt

In this episode for Podcasthon 2025, we welcome Holly Bamford, a History PhD candidate at Liverpool University who researches late medieval and early modern witchcraft and superstition. Holly examines the historical context of witch hunts through detailed case studies.We met Holly at the Magic and Witchcraft conference in York 2024, one of many academic events that help us connect with experts in the field of witch trial history and contemporary witch hunt research.The conversation covers the 1674 Hinchcliffe case, where neighbors petitioned courts defending the accused family's innocence, and the 1601 Trevisard case featuring twelve neighbors who approached a magistrate to accuse an entire family of witchcraft.This episode is part of our contribution to Podcasthon 2025, where 1,500 podcasters are using their platforms from March 15-21 to highlight causes important to them. Our featured nonprofit is End Witch Hunts, which can be found along with other charities at podcasthon.org.Renaissance Society of America -Boston 2025Witch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterDonate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundPodcasthon.orgBoris Gershman Witch Hunt Podcast EpisodeWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory AnalysisThe International NetworkThe International Alliance to End Witch Hunts

Welcome back to our Podcasthon series, "Ending Witch Hunts."In this fourth installment, Josh and Sarah explore the pervasive issue of witch hunts across Asia. As Sarah notes, "The witch hunting story continues to unfold in ways many people don't realize." We examine how witch hunts and witch branding remain significant problems throughout parts of Asia, with a particular focus on India.Throughout the episode, we highlight the work of many local advocates who are fighting these dangerous practices through education, survivor support, and influencing the development of appropriate legal protections and governmental interventions.Podcasthon is a global movement to spread awareness about charities. Join us each day March 15-21 as we participate in Podcasthon 2025, where more than 1,500 podcasters unite to amplify causes close to their hearts. We're proud to participate with our nonprofit End Witch Hunts, which works to educate about persecution of alleged witches worldwide.Witch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterDonate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundPodcasthon.orgBoris Gershman Witch Hunt Podcast EpisodeWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory AnalysisThe International NetworkThe International Alliance to End Witch Hunts

Welcome back to our Podcasthon series, "Ending Witch Hunts."In this third installment of our Podcasthon series, Josh and Sarah continue the full story of witch hunting by examining contemporary SARV- sorcery accusations and related violence in Papua New Guinea. As Sarah reveals, "The witch hunting story is bigger than just what most people know. Pull back each layer and you find that witch hunts aren't a tall tale or an open-and-shut case."We will share about these layers through discussing the  complexities and nuances of SARV across the diverse cultures and developing communities of Papua New Guinea. You need to learn about the  incredible advocacy and victim support that is happening now through creative education and community development. Find out what makes ending SARV such a challenge.Podcasthon is a global movement to spread awareness about charities. Join us each day March 15-21 as we participate in Podcasthon 2025, where more than 1,500 podcasters unite to amplify causes close to their hearts. We're proud to participate with our nonprofit End Witch Hunts, which works to educate about persecution of alleged witches worldwide.Tune in daily as we uncover this complex story layer by layer. Learn more at podcasthon.org and discover how you can help at www.endwitchhunts.org.Help us recognize World Day Against Witch Hunts, August 10thWitch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterDonate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundPodcasthon.orgPapua New Guinea Discussions on Witch Hunt PodcastBoris Gershman Witch Hunt Podcast EpisodeWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory AnalysisThe International NetworkSorcery National Action PlanGive your support to Stop Sorcery Violence Peter and Grace Make a Difference Narrative

Welcome back to our Podcathon series, "Ending Witch Hunts."In this second installment, Josh and Sarah continue the full story of witch hunting by examining contemporary witch hunts across Africa. As Sarah reveals, "The witch hunting story is bigger than just what most people know. Pull back each layer and you find that witch hunts aren't a tall tale or an open-and-shut case."We will cover several nations across Africa and how advocates in specific communities are supporting victims and educating the community. On this second day of Podcathon, we feature a special update from human rights activist Dr. Leo Igwe of Advocacy for Alleged Witches in Nigeria.Podcathon is a global movement to spread awareness about charities. Join us each day March 15-21 as we participate in Podcathon 2025, where more than 1,500 podcasters unite to amplify causes close to their hearts. We're proud to participate with our nonprofit End Witch Hunts, which works to educate about persecution of alleged witches worldwide.Tune in daily as we uncover this complex story layer by layer. Learn more at podcasthon.org and discover how you can help at www.endwitchhunts.org.Witch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterDonate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundPodcasthon.orgBoris Gershman Witch Hunt Podcast EpisodeWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory AnalysisThe International NetworkThe International Alliance to End Witch HuntsAdvocacy for Alleged Witches, NigeriaAlhzeimer Dementia Namibia on FacebookTotal Life Enhancement Center, GhanaThe Sanneh Institute: Research, Religious, SocietyAdvocacy Against Witch Hunts, South AfricaSierra Leone Association of Persons with AlbinismSierra Leone Association of Persons with Albinism Facebook PageThe Source of the Nile Union of Persons with Albinism (SNUPA)Case Study, Synergies: Contagion of Positive ActionStop Child Witchcraft AccusationsUnited Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8. Elimination of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks  Pan African Parliament Guidelines on Accusations of Witchcraft and Ritual Attacks Podcast Episode: Ikponwosa Ero on Ending Witch HuntsPodcast Episode: Human Rights Day and Albinism: Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond on Witchcraft Accusations and Ritual AttacksFIDA

Join us each day March 15-21 as we participate in Podcasthon 2025, where more than 1,500 podcasters unite to amplify causes close to their hearts. We're proud to participate with our nonprofit End Witch Hunts, which is working to educate about persecution of alleged witches worldwide. When you think of the Salem Witch Trials, it might seem like ancient history—an open-and-shut case from a bygone era. But as Sarah reveals, "The witch hunting story is bigger than just Salem. Pull back each layer and you find that witch hunts aren't a tall tale or an opened and shut case." One minute you think you know the truth. The next, you realize you don't know the half of it.Throughout this special week-long series, we'll explore how witch hunts transcend ancient historic documents and continue happening today. In this installment We examine literal witch hunts—where fear of witchcraft drives accusations of supernatural harm—featuring insights from Economist Boris Gershman on global witchcraft beliefs and the path toward ending these dangerous persecutions. Tune in daily as we uncover this complex story layer by layer. Learn more at podcasthon.org and discover how you can help at www.endwitchhunts.org.Witch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterDonate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundPodcasthon.orgBoris Gershman Witch Hunt Podcast EpisodeWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory AnalysisBorisGershman.comThe International NetworkThe International Alliance to End Witch HuntsAdvocacy for Alleged Witches, Nigeria

In this episode, Professor Victoria Canning from Lancaster University discusses the overlooked intersection of criminology and witchcraft persecution. Through the lens of "zemiology"—the study of social harm—Canning examines how witchcraft accusations create profound physical, psychological, and cultural damage.Central to our conversation is her concept of "torturous violence," which expands definitions of torture beyond state actions to include sustained community violence with similar traumatic effects. This framework helps explain how witchcraft accusations function as mechanisms of social control, particularly against women.Canning advocates for an "activist criminology" that uses evidence to drive social change and helps practitioners identify and respond to witchcraft-related persecution.Join us for this informative conversation bridging criminology and witchcraft studies to address these overlooked forms of violence.Research and Publications by Victoria CanningWomen for Refugee WomenInternational Conference on Albinism at Lancaster University, September 2025Donate to Witch Hunt Podcast Conference FundMaryland House Joint Resolution 2MD Witch Exoneration Project WebsiteSign the Maryland PetitionSign the Massachusetts Petition

This International Women's Day, we revisit the story of Arminda de Jesus, a 32-year-old mother accused of witchcraft in 1933 Portugal. Through our interview with Dr. Inês Tadeu from the University of Madeira, we present the historical facts of this little-known case from the village of Soalhães. Dr. Tadeu's research through trial records and newspaper accounts provides context for understanding how witchcraft accusations persisted into the 20th century. Arminda's case, occurring just 22 years after the first International Women's Day, illustrates the ongoing threat faced by women accused of witchcraft globally.Content warning: Contains descriptions of violence.International Women’s DayWitch Hunt Episode: Witchcraft Accusations and Gender Inequality with Dr. Samantha SpenceWitch Hunt Episode: Women and Witch Trials with Ann LittleMaryland House Joint Resolution 2MD Witch Exoneration Project WebsiteSign the Maryland PetitionSign the Massachusetts PetitionConnecticut Exoneration Written TestimonyWitch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our Newsletter

Join us for an informative International Women's Day 2025 episode where we explore this year's theme: "Accelerate Action." We're shining a light on a global crisis often hidden from headlines - women and girls being accused of witchcraft, subjected to violence, exiled from their communities, and even killed.Discover how International Women's Day initiatives have already made tangible progress in combating these human rights violations. Since launching our podcast in 2022, we've covered heartbreaking  realities affecting women worldwide, and today we'll connect the core meaning of International Women's Day directly to ongoing advocacy efforts against modern witchcraft accusations.This episode provides essential information to help you connect and amplify your voice for change. Join us to discover the power of collective action and how International Women's Day is still accelerating progress for vulnerable women across the globe.#InternationalWomensDay #WomenEmpowerment #GenderEquality #HumanRights #WitchHuntPodcast #IWD2025 #AccelerateActionInternational Women’s DayWitch Hunt Episode: Witchcraft Accusations and Gender Inequality with Dr. Samantha SpenceWitch Hunt Episode: Women and Witch Trials with Ann LittleMaryland House Joint Resolution 2MD Witch Exoneration Project WebsiteSign the Maryland PetitionSign the Massachusetts PetitionConnecticut Exoneration Written TestimonyWitch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our Newsletter

Professor and author Jane Barnette from the University of Kansas joins us for a discussion on how witch trial narratives continue to influence our cultural understanding. She shares about her groundbreaking production of Kimberly Bellflower's "John Procter is the Villain" - a contemporary play that boldly reexamines "The Crucible" through the lens of #MeToo, premiering at the University of Kansas just days before its Broadway debut.“John Procter is the Villain" considers Arthur Miller's messaging  in "The Crucible," examining how Miller's fictional recreations of historical figures like John Proctor and Abigail Williams have shaped public perception of the Salem trials, often at the expense of historical accuracy. Consider with us, how theatrical reinterpretation can help reclaim silenced voices and how the term "witch hunt" has evolved in contemporary discourse.Theater serves as a powerful medium for confronting and transforming our understanding of the past and modern society. Witch Hunt podcast examines historical witch trials and their continuing impact on society through conversations with experts, descendants, and advocates for justice.JaneBarnette.comBuy Witch Fulfillment: Adaptation Dramaturgy and Casting the Witch for Stage and Screen by Jane BarnetteWant more Jane Barnette? Listen to Podcast Episode: Witchcraft and Stagecraft: Unmasking Wicked’s Magic with Paul Laird and Jane BarnetteMaryland House Joint Resolution 2MD Witch Exoneration Project WebsiteSign the Maryland PetitionSign the Massachusetts PetitionConnecticut Exoneration Written TestimonyWitch Hunt podcastContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our Newsletter

Learn about stigmata and exorcisms with an in-depth conversation with historian Kristof Smeyers, a leading expert on the history of science, religion, and magic during the 19th and 20th centuries. The discussion begins with Kristof's extensive research on stigmata, exploring the complex phenomenon of the wounds of Christ appearing on people's bodies. Kristof delves into notable historical cases, such as those of medieval stigmatics including St. Francis of Assisi, and contrasts them with lesser-known instances in Britain and Ireland in the 19th and 20th centuries. As the conversation progresses, Kristof discusses the varying perceptions and practices of exorcism among priests and laypeople, and the role of the church in both supporting and quietly adapting to alternative exorcism methods. Kristof recounts historical cases of exorcisms, including tragic instances.Witch Hunt podcast websiteEnd Witch HuntsSupport Us! Shop Our BookshopSign the Maryland PetitionSign the Massachusetts PetitionContribute to End Witch HuntsSign up for our NewsletterSupernatural Bodies: Stigmata in Modern Britain and IrelandWounds of Christ: Macabre History of Stigmata