Before 1400 it was rare for anyone to be persecuted for witchcraft, but the increasingly common persecution of heresy and failure to fully defeat those heretics paved the way for later criminal prosecution of witchcraft.[38] By the 15th century belief in witches was widely accepted in European society. Previously, those convicted of witchcraft typically suffered penalties no more harsh than public penances such as a day in the stocks,[31] but their persecution became more brutal following the publication of the Malleus Maleficarum, as witchcraft became widely accepted as a real and dangerous phenomenon.[39] The most vigorous persecutions took place between years 1560 and 1630 ending in Europe around 1780.Particularly in 16th and 17th centuries an intense discourse on the nature of witches preoccupied demonologists across Europe and they published many printed sermons, books and tracts. The Catholic Church played an important role in shaping of debate on demonology, but the discourse wasn't much affected by the Reformation. Martin Luther was also convinced about the reality and evil of witches, and facilitated development of Protestant demonology.[41] Catholic and Protestant demonologies were similar in their basic beliefs about witches [42] and most writers agreed on the severity of the crime of witchcraft.[43][d] It was accepted by both Catholic and Protestant legislatures[44] and witch-hunting was undeniably sponsored by both Protestant and Catholic governments.[45][e][f] Witches became heretics to Christianity and witchcraft became the greatest of crimes and sins.[48] Within continental and Roman Law witchcraft was the crimen exceptum, a crime so foul that all normal legal procedures were superseded. During the Age of Enlightenment, belief in the powers of witches to harm began to die out in the West. But the reasons for disbelief differed from those of early Christians. For the early Christians the reason was theological — that Christ had already defeated the powers of evil. For the post-Enlightenment Christians, the disbelief was based on a belief in rationalism and empiricism.[50] Hayes urges "Past sins need to be acknowledged and confessed — so some kind of 'truth and reconciliation' commission is needed — not as a witch hunt, to accuse and punish the guilty, but to avoid the kind of denial that the Enlightenment imposed on the Great Witch Hunt in Europe — a denial that allowed the Great Witch Hunt to reincarnate itself in the horrors of Auschwitz [Holocaust] and the GULAG." THAT LAST sentence is so important. A denial. To deny allowed history to repeat itself. Another punishment of horror. They do this over and over. I also believe the Burning of Witches was invented to possibly hide pedophelia. Burning those that they defiled to Silence Them.
Hypatia was a philosopher in Alexandria in Egypt. Her knowledge of astronomy and mathematics led to suspicion of sorcery and she was flayed alive by a mob of monks. She is considered by scholars such as Soldan and Heppe to have been the first famous woman to be persecuted for witchcraft by the Christians. Were the monks trying to cover something else? IDK, but they deserve the suspicion this may garner for they have been abusing for centuries. They must own it.