The sporadic violence that has erupted among the 690,000 people left homeless in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, by the January 12 earthquake has had myriad causes but a significant proportion of it is being ascribed to a belief in the occult, writes David Blair in Port-au-Prince.
By night, mythical creatures are said to prowl the camps, snatching and murdering children. Many Haitians are convinced that people possessed by evil spirits turn into wolves after dark, a version of the werewolf legend.
"Almost all Haitian families are afraid of this," said Vladimir Cadet, 29, who is among the homeless. "While they are sleeping in the street, they are living with this reality. There was a woman whose two children were taken by a werewolf. This kind of thing is spreading like wildfire."
Mr Cadet, an English-speaking university graduate, is convinced of the existence of werewolves. "I have never seen one but I've been told by my mother that they exist. When I was a little boy, I was nearly taken."
Where Mr Cadet sleeps, people have formed brigades of watchmen who guard against the twin dangers of thieves and werewolves. Anyone suspected of falling into either category is liable to be killed.
Full story: www.ft.com/haiti
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