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A petition has been launched that aims to legally pardon those convicted of witchcraft in the UK. Through their petition, British Author Charlotte Meredith, Liverpool activist Kate Elder Fuller and a team of women are calling on the Government to "Posthumously Pardon the innocent" British people convicted of witchcraft offences between:- 1542 and 1735.

The act of witchcraft was defined as magic carried out with the intention of causing harm to others and despite a repeal of the Witchcraft Acts in 1735, the UK Government has still not pardoned those found 'guilty.' In Great Britain, academics estimate that a minimum of 3,000 people were convicted for offences of witchcraft under the Witchcraft Acts, most of them being women.

In England and Wales, executions were carried out by way of a public hanging. In Scotland, convicted witches were typically strangled and burned at the stake; with King James VI of Scotland being a particularly ruthless monarch. Many of those accused of practising witchcraft died while awaiting trial. Hundreds of years later, a group of women are now intending to seek justice for those brutally and unjustly killed for:- 'witchcraft.' Charlotte Meredith is the Author of:- 'My Mother Is a Witch' and 'This I Know to Be True - The Voices of Pendle,' a book that tells the true story of the infamous Lancashire Witch Trials, and has assembled a team of valiant campaigners.

Charlotte explained:- “It all came about after Cali White hosted a 3 day event and pilgrimage called:- 'The Witches Revival' in August 2023. The event was hosted to reclaim the title of a 'witch' on the Anniversary of the Pendle Witch trials anniversary. At the event I was giving out leaflets for the petition and following this people such as social activist Kate Elder Fuller reached out to help. We soon formed a team with the event organiser Cali and Emma Swinton, who has made a film about Jennet Device, a 9 year old girl, who was a victim. The target is 10,000 votes so we had a big online event showing the film and have been sharing the campaign far and wide. We still need over 3,000 votes though and the deadline is approaching so time is of the essence!”

The petition aims to seek a formal acknowledgement that the British witch trials were a miscarriage of justice on a colossal scale. In 1735, Parliament repealed the 'Witchcraft Acts' due to there being no physical evidence that crimes had taken place whatsoever and the petition aims to exonerate all people who had been convicted prior to the repeal.

Charlotte explained:- “The campaign is in the public interest and pertinent today because witch persecution is happening right now in this country. Shockingly, our children are being abused and, in extreme cases, murdered for being witches. In 2012 the government published a National Action Plan to tackle CALFB: child abuse linked to faith or belief. Child protection statistics from:- 2017/ 2018 show Councils dealt with an average of 30 cases of CALFB per week, an increase on the previous year. As incredulous as it may 1st appear, many 21st Century people blame their misfortune on witches, just like people did in the early modern period.”

Charlotte and the team are hoping that they can reach at least 10,000 signatures on the petition; enough to at least achieve a response from the Government. They are hoping that by achieving a pardon for those found guilty, the Government will not only clear their names but send a strong message out to people.

Charlotte summarised: “By pardoning our historical witches; acknowledging that there was and is no justice or justification in abusing and executing people based on this type of unprovable belief; our Government can send a powerful, educational message to would be perpetrators and cultures who promote this barbaric abuse. Sadly, witch persecution is not a thing of the past, but we can make it be.”

To sign the petition, please go to:- Petition.Parliament.UK.

Find out more on Charlotte Meredith’s website.

Follow Justice For Witches on Facebook.

Liverpool (Gladstone)

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