NOVANEWS
The British police force has released figures showing a spike in child abuse, rape and physical assault cases linked to witchcraft in the UK.
According to figures released by British police on Wednesday, a total of 24 cases of ritualistic child abuse were referred to Scotland Yard in 2013.
The figures also show the number of ritualistic child abuse cases reported to Scotland Yard has been on the rise since the last 10 years, with a reported 148 cases since 2004.
Detective Superintendent Terry Sharpe said that ritual child abuse was “a hidden crime” and that it is vastly under-reported.
“When there is a tragedy and someone dies, a consequence of that is we see an increase in reporting” said Sharpe, adding, “Abuse linked to belief is a horrific crime which is condemned by people of all cultures, communities and faiths.”
Two of the 24 cases, which were passed on to the Metropolitan Police, were related to minors who claimed being raped during witchcraft rituals and a third case involved allegations of a church pastor who swung a child around knocking its head to “drive out the devil”.
“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,” Sharpe added.
In 2010, Kristy Bamu was drowned in a bath during an exorcism after suffering days of torture at the hands of two people who claimed that the child was possessed.
