PLANS to create a permanent memorial to those who were brutally murdered after being accused of witchcraft have been spiked.
Local historian Len Low, author of the Weem Witch, had hoped to win community backing to build a small monument of remembrance to those who were slain in Pittenweem’s various ‘outbreaks’.
The village’s community council recently invited 1600 residents for their opinion on the issue through a survey.
Len said: “I’ve been told that the community council is claiming the results came back with 50 per cent in favour and 50 per cent against, which seems ridiculous.
“We had a chance to right a wrong here, like they have done in places like Salem where they make £20m a year through tourism because of their memorials.
“The only difference between there and here is that the church backed them.”
Len said he’ll now give up on his plans to create the monument, but hoped that somebody else may decide to keep the campaign alive.
The village has a shameful history of torture and terror towards those who were accused of witchcraft, with churches of the time, who stood to benefit financially from the executions, roundly blamed by historian Len.
Sandy Guthrie from Pittenweem Community Council confirmed to the Mail that it would not be supporting any plans, and said there was an 18 per cent response to the survey.
He said: “This is the decision of the community.”
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