Witchcraft linked to thousands of child abuse cases

Figures reveal ‘faith and belief ’ behind 1,460 cases a year, but experts warn real total could be higher

WITCHCRAFT and demonic possession are linked to almost 1,500 child abuse cases a year, the first government statistics on the topic show. Experts warned that an increasing number of children were being abused by adults who want to “get the devil out of them”.

Figures released by the Department for Education show that 1,460 cases in England included concerns about abuse which was “linked to faith and belief ” during the year to March 2017.

Of the cases, 310 took place in the North West, 240 took place in London and 220 were in the West Midlands.

The largest single figure for any local authority was 86 cases, which was recorded for Lancashire. Charities said the figure was likely to be an underestimate because local authorities did not have enough awareness to spot the likely signs of abuse.

Justin Humphreys, executive director of safeguarding at the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service, told the Church Times that there was “limited understanding” of the warning signs. He said: “The data presented by the Government reflects the reports to the Education select committee 2012 that an increasing number of children in the UK are being harmed in the belief that ‘it will get the devil out of them’.”

Figures released by the Metropolitan Police in 2014 showed that it had dealt with 148 cases since 2004. The new figures suggest that the issue is more widespread.

Research carried out by the CCPAS alongside Manchester Metropolitan University earlier this year found that only one in three professionals working with children and families was confident they could spot the signs of abuse.

In 2012 the Government launched a national action plan to tackle the issue following the murder of Kristy Bamu, a 15-year-old boy. He was killed by his sister Magalie Bamu and her partner, Eric Bikubi, on Christmas Day in 2010 after Bikubi said he believed the child was a witch.

The guidance states that such abuse includes the belief that children are witches or possessed by a spirit, demon or the devil, as well as “ritual or mutimurders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies”. In other cases, the guidance said, magic or witchcraft is used “to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation”. The guidance came about following concerns raised about belief in witchcraft among “migrant African communities in England”.

A government spokesman said: “Those responsible for child abuse linked to faith or belief would be subject to prosecution.”