UNITED KINGDOM
Community Care
by Luke Stevenson on October 10, 2014
Guidance has been released advising frontline professionals on how to recognise signs that a child may be suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm from abuse linked to a belief in witchcraft and spirit possession.
A training film commissioned by the Metropolitan Police’s Project Violet team, which works to address ritual child abuse, has been launched to help train all professionals who work with and safeguard children.
The numbers of allegations of abuse linked to a belief in witchcraft and spirit possession have been rising steadily, with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) receiving 27 allegations this year compared to just nine in 2011.
Examples of referrals investigated by the police included a child being forced to drink unknown substances to rid them of evil spirits, a pastor swinging a child around and banging their head to drive out the devil and parents removing children from school and taking them out of the country to attend an exorcism ceremony.
Speaking ahead of the multi-agency event in London, Terry Sharpe, from the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, gave details about the abuse frontline workers were dealing with: “Families or carers genuinely believe that the victim has been completely taken over by the devil or an evil spirit, which is often supported by someone who within the community has portrayed themselves as an authority on faith and belief.”
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