Witch hunting is the process of searching for people who are believed to be witches or magical users to either punish or get rid of them. Back in the time witch hunts were the result of the people’s fear or paranoia about witchcraft, usually because of the religious, cultural, or political reasons.

A notable instance of that was the European witch hunt from the 1400s to 1700s. During this period, hundreds of people, primarily women, were suspected of witchcraft and tragically executed. These accusations were usually created by rumors, superstitions, or personal grudges which were not supported by facts.

Witch hunts usually follow a pattern: At first, one gets accused then there is an investigation, a trial (often, unfair), and then the punishment, which in most cases means public humiliation, prison, torture, or even death. There were the allegations of witchcraft which were supposedly used as a weapon against those groups who were the ones already having a hard time in society.

At present, the term “witch hunt” is used to denote the unfair or hysterical attacks on individuals or groups, usually for political causes, without any solid proof of the crime. This is a result of the past witch hunts which were the periods of mass paranoia and unfairness.