Child protection cases linked to faith or belief in England have risen by a third in the past year, reaching nearly 2,000, according to official data. Councils warn that witchcraft and black magic are increasingly factors in child abuse, with social workers now handling the equivalent of 38 cases per week.
The highest numbers of cases in 2018/19 were recorded in Lancashire, Bradford, and Leeds, but incidents rose across the country, including 71 in Nottingham, 35 in Bristol, and 34 in Southwark. The Local Government Association is calling for more resources to tackle the problem, which includes abuse under the guise of witchcraft, spirit possession, and black magic.
Campaigners view the data, published by the Department for Education, as evidence that social workers are improving at identifying hidden and culturally complex factors in abuse. However, there is alarm that numbers are still rising long after high-profile deaths such as Victoria Climbié, Khyra Ishaq, and Kristy Bamu, who were killed in cases involving ritual abuse, starvation linked to belief in spirits, and exorcism.
The data also shows that the number of children identified as having or being at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) has reached a record high, with 1,000 cases in 2018/19, up 6% on the previous year. Cllr Anita Lower, the Local Government Association's lead on FGM, said social workers have become better at identifying signs but the true incidence rate is likely higher due to under-reporting.
Mor Dioum, director of the Victoria Climbié Foundation, welcomed improved identification but called for further examination of census data to understand prevalence and engage communities to prevent abuse linked to faith or belief. The Metropolitan Police stressed that only a minority of believers in witchcraft or spirit possession abuse children, noting that symptoms of 'possession' can include rebelliousness, nightmares, or illness, and children are sometimes scapegoated for family problems.
