'Genital theft' accusations: How social media fuelled rumours that turned deadly
5 Articles
5 Articles
More than 80 people were killed between October 2025 and July 2026 after being falsely accused of stealing genital organs in African countries, according to an investigation by the BBC's Global Disinformation Unit. The belief that a simple touch on the shoulder can make a man's genital organs shrink or disappear gained strength on social networks and triggered crowd attacks in at least six countries.
The BBC's Global Disinformation Unit, based on information gathered from police forces in six African countries, found that between October 2025 and July this year, more than 80 people were killed by others due to online rumors of "genital theft". The tragedy was caused by the widespread spread of rumors that "when a stranger taps a man's shoulder, his penis shrinks or even disappears". In several African countries, people who believed such rumo…
More than 80 people were killed between October 2025 and July this year following false accusations about the so-called "failure of genital organs", according to an investigation carried out by BBC Global Disinformation Unit.
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