Murdered for their eyes: people with albinism living in terror in Madagascar

A wave of ritual killings and mutilations targeting people with albinism in Madagascar has intensified this year: Albinos Madagascar reports 13 people - all beheaded and most of them children aged between nine months and 14 years - killed in 2026. The violence is exemplified by the abduction and murder of 18-month-old Landricia, whose head and body parts were found at properties linked to a traditional healer. Survivors, families and advocates say attackers seize children for their eyes and other parts, driven by the belief these will bring wealth, political success or luck. People with albinism, who face visual impairment and heightened skin-cancer risk, are being hunted because children are viewed as more "powerful" in potions and easier to abduct.

Investigations and advocacy point to organised networks that procure body parts for clients, with perpetrators including relatives, community members, itinerant raiders and intermediaries; the masterminds often remain hidden. A UN expert recorded dozens of attacks since 2020, and Albinos Madagascar warns the situation is escalating. Arrests linked to some killings now include 18 suspects, among them a foreign national connected to mining, while families report police brutality in extracting confessions. Poverty, political instability, climate shocks and lucrative mineral and gem industries are driving desperation and demand, creating a lethal intersection of superstition, organised crime and chronic state weakness.