About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "ShortHand: Papua New Guinea's Black Magic Murders" from RedHanded covers the belief system known as 'Sanguma', or black magic, which is widely used across Papua New Guinea to explain everything from minor illnesses to sudden deaths. The episode examines how this belief has fueled a recent and brutal rise in witch hunts across the country, an epidemic of violence in which victims, predominantly women and girls, are publicly tortured and murdered.
The episode asks why this wave of violence has taken hold, framing the Black Magic Murders as a disturbing intersection of belief, fear, and targeted brutality against women and girls in particular.
Hosts and release
Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire host the show. This installment is part of the ShortHand series, a shorter-form entry running 19 minutes, released as episode 244 of RedHanded. The broader show is a true crime podcast examining serial killers, cults, and lesser-known cases through a cultural lens, publishing roughly 400 episodes on a weekly schedule, available on Spotify and Amazon Music, with bonus content offered exclusively through Patreon.
