When we think about the countless barbaric practices that were once commonplace among our ancestors, we often view them through a lens of judgment—labeling them as uncivilized, savage, and wholly abhorrent. Many of us assume that modern humanity has outgrown such cruelty, believing that the brutal spectacles of gladiatorial combat or medieval torture chambers belong solely to the distant past. Yet, if you pause to consider the world today, you’ll find that the same ruthless impulses still thrive in unsettling forms. Below, we dive into the ten most chilling practices that continue to haunt our planet.
1 Witch Burning
A harrowing incident in Papua New Guinea saw a young woman stripped, torched with a fiery iron rod, doused in gasoline, and set ablaze atop a mound of car tires while a crowd of onlookers watched in stunned silence. This brutal execution, which occurred in February 2013, mirrors the cruelty of 16th‑century witch trials despite its modern date. Rumors of witchcraft spurred the villagers into a savage act of vengeance, echoing the infamous Salem trials centuries earlier.
Papua New Guinea isn’t alone in its fear of witches. Across Africa, organized witch hunts persist. In 2009, Gambia’s president Yahya Jammeh launched a nationwide witch‑hunting campaign that forced villagers to flee, resulted in dozens of deaths, and left at least six people murdered. India reports between 150 and 200 women killed annually for alleged witchcraft, while Saudi Arabia legally sanctions death for the practice. These contemporary witch persecutions demonstrate that superstition and violence remain dangerously intertwined.
2 Modern Slavery
Even in today’s “civilized” nations, slavery refuses to be relegated to history books. The International Labour Organization estimates that between ten and thirty million individuals are enslaved worldwide—a figure surpassing any previous era. By contrast, during the eighteenth‑century peak of the trans‑Atlantic slave trade, only about six million people were transported from Africa.
These modern slaves are harvested from every corner of the globe, forced into debt bondage, sexual exploitation, forced labor, and other forms of coercion. In the United States alone, an estimated 100,000 children are trapped in the sex trade, while human trafficking generates a $32 billion industry projected to eclipse the drug trade. Asia bears the brunt, with roughly 12.3 million people in forced labor, often hidden in restaurants, farms, hotels, and other seemingly ordinary workplaces. Captors profit from free labor, sustaining their victims through threats, intimidation, and addiction.
3 Child Selling
Child selling intertwines with modern slavery, exposing a grotesque market where parents exchange their offspring for cash. Shockingly, websites surface offering children for money under the guise of “population control” or “environmental stewardship.” One notorious site promised a brand‑new Miata in exchange for a child—though the fine print revealed a battered used car, underscoring the perverse commodification of human lives.
These scams prey on vulnerable families, luring them with false promises of a better future while consigning children to grueling labor, sexual abuse, or outright abandonment. Though some of these advertisements appear to be hoaxes, they illuminate a grim reality: the internet can be a marketplace for the most heinous form of exploitation.
4 Cannibalism
Beyond the sensational headlines, genuine cannibalistic practices survive in isolated cultures. The Korowai people of Indonesian New Guinea maintain a tradition of consuming rivals, particularly individuals labeled as “khakhua” – witch doctors believed to devour humans spiritually. After torturing and killing a khakhua, the tribe eats the victim, beginning with the brain, as a form of karmic retribution.
Anthropologist Paul Raffaele documented these rites firsthand, noting that the flesh reportedly tastes more like a cassowary than pork. While rumors suggest other Pacific islands harbor similar customs, definitive proof remains scarce. A 2011 German sailor’s disappearance sparked speculation of cannibalism, but no conclusive evidence surfaced.
5 Human Sacrifice (Sati)
The ancient practice of Sati, wherein widows immolate themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre, persists in clandestine forms among some Hindu communities. Though officially illegal, reports indicate that women sometimes feel compelled—by societal pressure or outright coercion—to sacrifice themselves, framing the act as the ultimate devotion.
In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, a resurgence of child sacrifice emerged in 2011. Wealthy individuals reportedly paid witch doctors to kill children, believing the ritual would bring prosperity and health. The phenomenon prompted public outcry, with prominent figures like Miss Uganda campaigning against the heinous trade, highlighting its devastating impact on communities.
6 Public Hangings
While many nations have abandoned the spectacle of public executions, Iran has revived the practice to deter crime. Hundreds of hangings are now staged in Tehran’s central park, drawing crowds that gather to witness the grim proceedings. Convicts face death for offenses ranging from murder and rape to homosexuality and drug trafficking. Amnesty International notes that only China executes more people, though Iran’s public displays remain notoriously opaque.
7 Cruel and Unusual Punishments (Stoning)
Beyond public hangings, some regimes employ torturous punishments before execution. Stoning, where victims are buried up to their waists and pelted with rocks, persists in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Iran, and parts of Nigeria. The method demands precise stone sizes; too small, and the victim endures prolonged agony; too large, and they die instantly—both outcomes carry legal repercussions for the executioners.
Other extreme penalties endure worldwide: eye‑gouging and beheadings in Saudi Arabia, amputation for theft in Nigeria, flogging and caning in Singapore, and countless unrecorded forms of wartime torture. These punishments underscore a global tolerance for barbaric retribution.
8 Infanticide
Infanticide, the deliberate killing of newborns, persists for varied motives—religious sacrifice, inability to care for a child, cannibalism, sex selection, or population control. While China’s one‑child policy once spotlighted widespread infanticide, the Netherlands now permits a form of euthanasia for severely disabled infants. Since legalizing euthanasia a decade ago, Dutch doctors have performed infant euthanasia in roughly eight percent of all infant deaths, raising ethical debates about the sanctity of life.
9 Female Genital Mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains a harrowing practice across parts of Africa and the Middle East. Often justified as a religious or cultural rite dating back to 484 BC, FGM involves the removal of all or part of a woman’s external genitalia. Health experts, including the World Health Organization, condemn the practice for its lifelong physical and psychological harms, emphasizing that no sacred texts explicitly mandate it.
10 Blood Fiestas
In Spain, “blood fiestas” transform towns into arenas of animal cruelty reminiscent of ancient Roman spectacles. Participants subject cattle, goats, and other livestock to brutal tortures—dropping goats from bell towers, drenching bulls in molten wax, and chasing them with knives. Victims’ ears, tails, and testicles are often displayed on ceremonial spears, while the crowd partakes in the macabre feast. Similar festivals occur in Portugal, Mexico, and Brazil, keeping the tradition of public animal suffering alive.
Why the 10 Barbaric Practices Still Exist
These ten practices endure because they are woven into cultural, economic, and political fabrics that resist change. Whether driven by superstition, profit, or authoritarian control, each atrocity reflects a facet of humanity that clings to power, fear, or tradition. Understanding their roots is the first step toward dismantling them.