Albino Murder

A six-year-old albino girl in Burundi has been found dead with her head and limbs cut off in the region’s sixth such murder since September. There’s a thriving black market for albino body parts in neighboring Tanzania, where local witch doctors use them to make magic potions. Yes, this is 2008. Consequently, several albinos and their families have been moving into urban centers where they might be a little safer. This little girl and her parents were one of those families, but their house was still broken into by armed guards who tied up the adults and shot the girl in the head before dismembering her. Crazy superstitions are all fun and games when you’re talking about tourist trap voodoo dolls and souvenir Vatican rosaries, but these murders should serve as a reminder of where irrational thinking can lead. Not to sound vindictive, but I hope we start hearing reports of several Tanzanians choking to death on magic potions. Actually, I meant to sound a little vindictive. More details here.