ABSTRACT
From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, ecclesiastical and secular courts, with the population’s active participation, put alleged witches to trial. The Basque child-witch trials, which took place at the beginning and at the end of the sixteenth century, are among the earliest proceedings against children. Three aspects played a major role when evaluating child-witches: The belief in early sexual maturity, proof of malicious intent and the general belief in witchcraft as an exceptional crime. In cases of witchcraft, however, different criteria were applied when it came to the aspects of sexual maturity. Very often child-witches were not only the defendants, but also the key witnesses for the prosecution in witch trials. Many child-witches told how they had either harmed or killed humans or animals with the help of magic potions or magic powders. In cases of child-witchcraft a distinction was made between witness statements and confessions of witchcraft.
