Loggers Accused of Burning a Young Girl Alive

A report has been published that a logging group in Brazil have been accused of burning a young "tribes girl" alive. Her tragic death is said to have happened as a warning to the surrounding tribes of native peoples around the logging area. This is being called a "campaign to force the indigenous population from its land."

The alleged story is that the young girl from the Awá tribe wandered away. Out on her own, a group of the loggers captured the eight-year-old girl. They then tied her to a tree and set her on fire.

Luis Carlos Guajajaras, a leader of a near by tribe, recanted the story to a Brazilian news website. He continued by saying, "She was from another tribe, they live deep in the jungle, and have no contact with the outside world. It would have been the first time she had ever seen white men. We heard that they laughed as they burned her to death."

Raf Sanchez, a reporter for The Telegraph stated that, "[r]eports of the killing, which was said to have happened in October or November last year, were seconded by the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), a Catholic group which said it had seen footage of her charred remains."

The Brazilian government insist that they are investigating these claims.

What a positively evil thing to do to someone. But, this is not the only account of such a horrible death in the area. Sanchez continued by saying, "[a]round 450 tribes people have were murdered in Brazil between 2003 and 2010, according to figures from CIMI."

These deaths have been linked to the increased illegal mining and logging within the forests of Maranhão, where these indigenous peoples live. The way of life for the tribes people, most of whom are still hunter gathers, are being lost with the trees. "Survival International, a charity for tribal groups, warned that a third of the Awá's land had already been destroyed." 

This is more than likely why the young girl that lost her life had wandered so far from home leading her to such a horrific death.

Hopefully, the Brazilian government's investigations will move with more urgency to prevent another tragic death.