The vice-chancellor of Papua New Guinea's University of Goroka, Gairo Onagi, says sorcery-related violence must be tackled on a spiritual level.
The comment was made in the context of this week's conference on the campus in the Eastern Highlands provincial capital to find ways to deal with the rising level of torture and murder on account of sorcery accusations.
Dr Onagi says belief in sorcery is embedded within PNG culture and cannot be taken away.
"Personally I think it is a spiritual matter and the churches must rally behind this because I have witnessed myself that the churches have that spiritual sense to do something about it. Only then the law can support the spiritual method in which it can be dealt with, we can see some good, tangible results."
Gairo Onagi says a line must be drawn between sorcery that is used to harm people and the good magic used for fishing and other aspects of traditional life.
