In ancient Greece, there was Ostracism. Athenian citizens could write the names of those they disliked on pottery shards, whether they were beggars or socially prestigious, popular candidates most likely to become tyrants. The Witch Hunts, on the other hand, became a matter of burning that disliked person to death. At first, the targets were merely disadvantaged groups, but people soon discovered that all it took was a secret letter to accuse someone of noble birth of being a witch. High society people always gathered together to make merry, and such gatherings were called devil-worship assemblies. Everyone who attended would be summoned and put on trial.
The core of the Witchcraft Act was determining whether witchcraft was real. If the plaintiff could not prove that the defendant's witchcraft was genuine, then it was "spreading wicked rumors to deceive the public." For example, a Divination practitioner who made a living telling fortunes but got every prediction wrong was merely a fraud. But if they were accurate—if they correctly predicted a war—then they might be guilty of treason for allegedly leaking state secrets.
People who spent all day cursing and swearing in the streets were annoying, especially women. Anyone who often went to the market would know that, as they cursed, their words gradually turned into "curses," such as "Go die!" or "I hope you give birth to an xx." If those "curses" came true—if the people they had "cursed" really died or gave birth to deformed children—then they would face accusations of witchcraft.
When dealing with the Witchcraft Act, British judges consulted "experts" such as witch-finders. The Inquisition sought out little girls who claimed they could identify witches hidden among the crowd by certain characteristics.
The Dutch never burned witches. If they ever did, it was during periods of foreign rule;