The combat towards marabout scams should intensify, pleads an elected Lausanne official

If the variety of instances could appear modest, it’s above all of the sum to which these damages relate that challenges: 150,000 francs in whole for the 15 instances, i.e. an quantity which, per sufferer, can show to be very substantial.

Furthermore, for the Vaudois police, these instances signify solely the tip of the iceberg. The phenomenon is definitely extra necessary as a result of some victims don’t dare to file a grievance. They’re silent as a result of they’re ashamed and even out of concern that the motion of the marabout will now not be efficient.

The culprits of those scams current themselves as clairvoyants or mediums. In response to the police, they’re of African origin and are available primarily from France. They make contact by way of posters slipped into mailboxes, however now additionally by means of web sites. As for the cost, it typically needs to be despatched overseas.

In authorized phrases, these persons are often charged with usury and fraud.

Carry again the liked one

The victims are primarily girls in a state of emotional misery and who typically name on these marabouts to deliver again their liked one.

To be able to keep away from getting caught up in a cycle of countless funds, the police advocate avoiding sending massive sums of cash to a marabout, and in any case not more than the worth of a typical session within the area of clairvoyance, i.e. a couple of hundred francs.

A typical level with sectarian aberrations

Confronted with these rising scams, what can the political authorities do? Benoît Gaillard, socialist municipal councilor in Lausanne, urges them to open their eyes to the phenomenon. He requires extra prevention and repression on the a part of the general public authorities, particularly the Metropolis of Lausanne, and can quickly file a second interpellation with the Municipal Council.

“There’s a frequent level between maraboutage and sectarian aberrations, it’s the phenomenon of affect. We enter the method to hunt benefits after which we notice that leaving this course of will deliver disadvantages. We begin to inform you: ‘should you go away, you are going to have issues'”, explains the elected Thursday within the 12:30 p.m.

Draw crimson strains

For him, the truth that significantly weak persons are focused requires a response from the authorities, particularly since, in France and in German-speaking Switzerland, these practices are acknowledged by the general public authorities as being on the rise. “Within the midst of this, in French-speaking Switzerland, we are inclined to ignore the query of sects or these practices [de maraboutage] which might go so far as fraud or coercion”, he regrets.

As with cults vis-à-vis conventional religions, the road is typically troublesome to attract between, for instance, well-established clairvoyants or healers and outright scams. “It is clearly sophisticated, however confronted with an advanced query, you possibly can both quit (…), or attempt to present some crimson strains. There, these are actions the place the chance, then, of tipping into one thing prison is greater than elsewhere. It requires qualifying and framing these practices in a different way”, pleads Benoît Gaillard.

These are actions the place the chance, then, of falling into one thing prison is greater than elsewhere. It requires qualifying them and framing them in a different way

It units out three priorities: documenting the phenomenon, doing prevention within the face of the chance introduced by sectarian aberrations and at last supervising, monitoring and maybe limiting sure practices.

>> Hearken to the interview of Benoît Gaillard within the 12:30 of the RTS Thursday:

Topic and radio interview: Martine Clerc and Yann Amedro

Net adaptation: Vincent Cherpillod