Lin Scotland he wants “Pardon” the thousands of women sentenced to death and executed because they are considered witches. And so, the Parliament, with a draft law, is now trying to fix things.
Grace to the Witches: Scotland makes things right
The rule could allow the posthumous grace and it would guarantee thousands of women condemned hundreds of years ago to be recognized as victims of a judicial error and to no longer be recorded in history as criminals.
Witches of Scotland founder Claire Mitchell and member Zoe Venditozzi at Howff Cemetery in Dundee, Scotland
An injustice that reinforces stereotypes
“It was an injustice” said Natalie Don, the congresswoman who presented the proposal. Which she added as, the erroneous criminalization of these women you only reinforce gender stereotypes in modern times.
And that correcting this mistake could have a real impact on the challenge to gendered and patriarchal attitudes that still exist in society.
They weren’t witches
Forgiveness would be equivalent to officially recognize and legally that those who were condemned they weren’t witcheswhile an apology would be addressed to all those people who were accused of witchcraft but managed to escape before the sentence.
It is not the first time that in the country we hear about requests for legal pardon for “witches” or “necromancers”.
Apologies from Prime Minister Sturgeon
The premier herself, Nicola Sturgeonlast March he presented a formal apology to those who were killed under the law on witchcraft which made the practice punishable by death.
With a particular appeal to women. Which, Sturgeon had said, ‘were not only the majority, but they came accused and killed because they are poor, diverse, vulnerable and, in many cases, just because women“.
Nearly 4,000 people charged under the Scottish Witchcraft Act
Historians claim that approx 3,837 people were accused of witchcraft according to Scottish Witchcraft Actwhich remained in place for nearly 200 years.
And that during this period, the condemned came strangled to death and then burned at the stake so that there was no body to bury. Two thirds of the suspects suffered this fate.
Witches, for some states still exist
Witches of Scotlanda group fighting for people sentenced under the 1563 law, in a statement published by the British media, he said he was favorably impressed by Parliament’s proposal.
Also in light of the fact that this will not only remedy the past, but it will be a signal also for the other countries of the world, where allegations of witchcraft are a very real and current problem.
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