Residents of Khenchela, Algeria, have managed to solve the mystery of the alleged "witch" who was robbing homes by putting their occupants into a trance, after she was apprehended by law enforcement. For months, the eastern Algerian states were shaken by reports of mysterious thefts occurring in a bizarre manner.
The details revealed that the thief, a woman in her forties, would knock on the door of her victims and concoct a story to gain entry. Once inside, she would perform rituals that put the inhabitants into a trance, leaving them unable to perceive what was happening around them, according to victims' testimonies. Many individuals across various regions, separated by hundreds of kilometers, shared their experiences with her, claiming she had a strange control over their minds that seemed abnormal.
Others described her methods as more akin to magic than mere deception. One victim recounted, "...my mother was alone in the family home when a woman knocked on the door, claiming she was looking for a piece of bread to quench her hunger. However, she embraced my mother and began crying, and that is when she executed her tricks." The victim continued, "When my mother went to the kitchen, she could not return to the front door, as if she kept forgetting something, while the visitor entered the home and stole jewelry and money, and no one noticed until the next day."
This victim was not alone, as many described similar experiences with the woman, who shared common attributes as recounted by their stories. For months, she managed to rob multiple homes in the same manner. The tale of the alleged "witch" instilled fear among residents of the eastern states in Algeria, leading many to change their habits regarding interactions with strangers, often pondering for a long time before opening their doors, while others decided to completely refuse entry to any unfamiliar face.
The news of her arrest on Friday brought relief to the community. In a statement from security forces, it was revealed that the suspect, aged 40, was apprehended on charges of fraud and theft through the use of magic and sorcery after victims filed complaints about thefts of jewelry and cash from their family homes involving the sorcery rituals she practiced. After legal procedures were completed, a search was conducted at the suspect's family home—she hails from a neighboring state—where the stolen goods, tools, charms, and written talismans used for these purposes were discovered.
