Monday, March 19, 2012

Calls to end ‘witch’ child abuse


"We're quite happy to talk about what is inappropriate belief when it comes to terrorism or paedophilia," said African studies expert Dr Richard Hoskins.

"But when it comes to fundamentalist religious belief affecting child protection, we don't seem to want to talk about it."

Dr Hoskins, who gave evidence at the trial of a couple who have been convicted for brutally torturing and killing a teenager in their east London flat, is among experts and charities calling for more to be done to tackle the problem of child abuse linked to witchcraft.

Here's my BBC News article.

Killers' witchcraft 'obsession'

It was the 2010 Christmas holidays and teenager Kristy Bamu and his siblings were staying with their sister in east London during a visit from Paris.

But this was no happy family gathering.

When paramedics entered the eighth floor apartment on Christmas Day they found the walls, ceiling and furniture spattered with blood.

Kristy, 15, had died from drowning and being beaten with a metal bar in the Forest Gate flat.

Here's my report for BBC News.