Europe's last executed witch to be cleared

[emad]

By Our Foreign Staff
12/06/2008
Swiss authorities are preparing to exonerate the last woman in Europe to be executed for witchcraft.

Anna Goeldi, a maid in the small alpine region of Glarus, was beheaded in 1782 for being a witch after she confessed under torture to conversing with the devil and poisoning the daughter of the house.

But her name could now be cleared following a decision yesterday by local lawmakers to recommend a reversal of the conviction.

Campaigners claim she was the victim of a conspiracy between the eastern town's judical and Protestant church authorities.

Goeldi was employed by the family of a rich married politician, who after having an affair with her denounced her for witchcraft claiming she made his daughter spit pins and suffer convulsions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2110937/Europe%27s-last-executed-witch-to-be-cleared.html

[ixion]

1. gee, how very thoughtful of them... I'm sure Anna would have appreciated this

prior to being beheaded, though.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Something similar happened in Salem MA,

but it was about 10-15 years after the infamous witch trials. Families were given an apology by the government, and reimbursed for their expenses. Back then, the witches who were in jail didn't have food and blankets and clothing unless their families provided it. In my family, by the time the restitution was done, it still didn't matter much--the family was shattered by their ordeal. My direct ancestor died, and his brother was the only member of the family to receive this restitution.

I'm wondering if the maid has any living descendants (probably cousins) who could demand restitution?