U.K. movement seeks pardons for women executed for witchcraft centuries ago

A movement in the United Kingdom is pushing for official pardons for thousands of women executed for witchcraft centuries ago, CBS News reported. Around 5,000 women across England and Scotland were convicted and executed, often by hanging or burning, during the peak of witch hunts in the 1600s.

Maidstone, a town near London, was a notable site where more than 20 women were hanged after witchcraft convictions, according to records shown by Maidstone Borough Council member Claire Kehily. She explained that these women were typically single, widowed, or without male support, making them easier targets.

Inside Maidstone's town hall, a reconstructed medieval prison cell where accused witches were held before trial is now part of the campaign's historical context. Kehily and fellow councilors are lobbying the U.K. government and planning to petition King Charles III for official pardons for these women, citing miscarriages of justice.

The campaign highlights that while all those accused in the Salem witch trials in the United States have been pardoned, no convicted witches in the U.K. have received exonerations. Samantha Harris, collections manager at Maidstone Museum, noted that natural disasters and illnesses were often scapegoated onto these women, who had no means to prove their innocence.