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Spaljivanje tri vještice u Badenu u Švicarskoj (1585); autor: Johann Jakob Wick.

Lov na vještice je izraz koji u tradicionalnom smislu označava potragu za osobama koje se bave vračanjem, odnosno dokazima o takvoj aktivnosti u društvima u kojima se čaranje smatra protuzakonitim i/li suprotnim običajem. U užem smislu se pod time podrazumijevaju društveni fenomeni koji sadrže elemente moralne panike, masovne histerije i linča, a ponekad uključuju službenu, odnosno državnu sankciju kroz suđenja vješticama ili čarobnjacima. U još užem smislu se pod time podrazumijeva tzv. klasični period progona vještica kada se od 15. do 18. vijeka vještice progonilo u tadašnjoj Evropi i Sjevernoj Americi, a što je dovelo do pogubljenja između 40.000 i 60.000 ljudi, najčešće žena. Taj je period završio kada su u evropskim zemljama zavladale ideje racionalizma i Prosvjetiteljstva, te su odredbe o zabrani i kažnjavanju čarobnjaštva izbačeni iz kaznenih zakonodavstava. Lov na vještice se otada uglavnom pojavljuje kao fenomen u ne-evrospkim zemljama, a danas je prisutan u subsaharskoj Africi, Indiji i Papui Novoj Gvineji; od zemalja čija zakonodavstva sadrže kazne za čarobnjaštvo su danas preostale samo Saudijska Arabija i Kamerun.

Izraz se, pak, u slikovitom smislu koristi za svako histerično progananje navodnih subverzivaca, državnih neprijatelja ili prikrivenih zlostavljača. Kao primjeri obično služe tzv. makartistički lov na vještice u SAD 1950-ih i histerija oko zlostavljanja djece u vrtićima 1980-ih i 1990-ih.

Povzeano

Satanističko ritualno zlostavljanje

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