Lynching in Brazil (grafic content)

[Luís Henrique]

Warning: grafic content (especially in the embedded video)

Not sure if this is the right place, but since the victim was a woman, and the "rationale" (if so it can be called) was "black magic rituals", maybe here. If not, an admin or mod could move it to a more appropriate place, please.

Lynching in Guarujá, Brazil (http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2014/05/1450041-they-killed-the-woman-says-resident-after-beating-in-guaruja-see-video.shtml)

Luís Henrique

[Luís Henrique]

Police have arrested five linchers up to now.

An Internet page, Guarujá Alerta (which is a right-wing law-and-order rag) has been implied in the linching, by divulging rumours about witchcraft and kidnapping; the police haven't apparently yet decided on whether to indict anyone linked to them.

[NBPP]

Black magic rituals? Was it racist?

[Luís Henrique]

Black magic rituals? Was it racist?

Not sure. The victim was white, and "black magic" can be understood in a Harry Potteresque "dark arts" manner. Though, of course, umbanda and candomblé are often conflated with witchcraft, especially by certain evangelic denominations.

I fear it has more to do with mental illness - the victim is said to have been bipolar, and, though she is reported as never being aggressive, prejudice against the mentally ill is quite high.

It probably has more to do with the panic epidemics about pedophilia. The victim is said to have given a fruit and caressed the head of a child, which was misinterpreted as an attempt to kidnap.

Luís Henrique