Cases of lynching and popular justice are multiplying. Based on mere rumors, they can also target innocent people.
In addition to the psychosis linked to kidnappings, another nightmare has emerged: lynching. Cases of popular justice are seeing a worrying resurgence. On Sunday, a couple experienced this painful ordeal, according to a relative’s testimony.
“They were accused of being killers and child kidnappers. They almost lost their lives,” says Lilou Rav, the sister of one of the victims. She categorically rejects the accusations against her brother and sister-in-law.
“They had simply gone out to eat. This aggression started from a slanderous accusation made in the street. In the crowd, someone claimed that my brother had hit them with a helmet, even though he wasn’t even riding a motorcycle,” she continues.
This case is far from isolated. On July 30, a woman in her thirties also narrowly escaped a lynching in Ankazomanga. “She was suspected of wanting to kidnap a child, when in reality she suffers from mental disorders. She entered a house by chance where a child was alone,” reports a police source.
The crowd had already gathered to attack her. “We arrived in time to save her from this popular justice,” indicates a source from the 7th arrondissement police station. In Faratsiho, a lynching claimed the life of a 30-year-old man accused of kidnapping a child.
“Malagasy society is broken. Trust has disappeared and suspicion reigns. At the slightest behavior deemed strange or the slightest suspicious attitude, the axe falls. A simple slanderous accusation can ruin the life of an innocent person,” laments an observer.
Several factors are fueling popular justice. “First, there is this lack of trust in the judicial system. Faced with investigations that drag on, such as the Remenabila case, the fire at the Rova of Manjakamiadana, the assassination of Ratsimandrava, or the Ambohimalaza case, where the truth has still not emerged, people end up looking for answers elsewhere. It is this impunity and silence that drive the population to want to take justice into their own hands,” our source analyzes.
The National Police are increasing awareness campaigns to prevent acts of popular justice. However, their eradication will take time. “The degradation of society and our institutions is the result of a long process, and I remain convinced that their recovery will require just as much time. This will have to involve structural reform, an overhaul of education, and an effort to encourage citizens to exercise discernment, reflection, and informed choices. In the short term, the urgency is to ensure the impeccable functioning of the entire judicial apparatus,” the observer recommends.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-05 05:53:34 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/insecurite-les-vindictes-populaires.html