Couple burn$d alive by villagers in after ‘witchcraft’ accusations

A woman and her partner have been burned alive by villagers after being accused of doing witchcraft. 
The brutal lynching occurred late at night in the village of Las Tacitas in Chiapas State, Mexico, on Tuesday, September 22, according to NeedToKnow. 
Disturbing footage shared online app shows a crowd watching as one of the victims is consumed by flames.  
State prosecutors have since launched a murder investigation into the double k!lling. 
According to local reports, the couple, who were part of the Maya Tseltal community, were forcibly removed from their home and taken to a community hall. 
Eyewitnesses allege they were detained for several hours and subjected to physical abuse before being doused in fuel and set alight. 
 

Their bodies were later reportedly left covered beside a path on the outskirts of the village. 
Initial local reports identified the victims as a man named Nicolás, thought to be around 50, and a woman named Irma. 
However, their identities have not yet been officially confirmed by prosecutors. 
Local reports indicate that Nicolás worked as a traditional healer and allegations of witchcraft arose after individuals who had sought his assistance fell ill. 
Another version of events suggests that the couple were blamed following the d£ath of a community official. Authorities have yet to publicly verify these claims. 
Indigenous District prosecutor Floralma Gómez Santos stated that officials had made contact with the victims’ families. She stated that investigators would aim to determine how the attack unfolded and identify those involved. 
Horacio Culebro Borrayas, president of the Chiapas Human Rights Commission, declared that no rumour or community belief could ever justify torture or taking a life. 
The Indigenous Justice Prosecutor’s Office, part of the Chiapas State Attorney General’s Office, has launched an investigation into the d£aths. 
The state’s Human Rights Commission has also opened a complaint and demanded a thorough and impartial investigation. 
Following discussions with local representatives, authorities were eventually able to access the community but reportedly failed to recover the victims’ remains. 
Community officials allegedly decided that the bodies would stay there and be buried locally, rather than being handed over for investigation. 
Mexican newspaper El Universal has since reported that the female victim was pregnant, although this claim has not been confirmed by state authorities.
 

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