'The crowd shouted that we'd stolen someone's genitals' - deadly rumours spread on social media
More than 80 people were killed between October 2025 and July this year following false accusations about what is termed "genital theft", the BBC Global Disinformation Unit has found after gathering data from police forces across six African countries.
In Zambia, the hearsay about disappearing genitals first gained traction in March when a woman was lynched, going on to spread panic across the border in Tanzania.
Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo publicly condemned widespread rumours and deaths, saying the claims were false and the government had found no medical evidence to suggest anyone had lost a part of their body.
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