Another story I flicked through yesterday, had people jumping out of their seats screaming "send 'em home." or "why let them in, in the first place." At least on the Sun website (I know Sun, Daily Mail, what can I say I must be losing it.) I was surrounded by students a while back and this seemingly well educated, well travelled guy started talking about voodoo. He talked about how he exposed his parents "ignorance" for condemning the practice without really knowing much about it. I wonder if you need to, when some of it clearly seems to involve killing kids. But he has a point, no matter how insane it seems, with regards to stories like this the enquiring minds must take a deeper look before judging the whole practice. This is the fourth child to be killed in so called voodoo ritual since 2000, and the 83rd case of ritual abuses, in London. (I say this knowing that there are far more non-faith-based cases of child abuse in general) I have a mixed race family, we are multiculturalism in effect. These stories sadden me in so many ways. The boy has been put through absolutely inhuman torture at the hands of those who should care for him. The pair who killed him had both ended up in Britain after leaving the Congo at a young age, Eric Bikubi fleeing war and Magalie Bamu for family reasons. The story hinges on child abuse, psychosis, delusions of the grandeur mixed with witchcraft, which led to this horror. But many will of course link it to immigration and point to that tough question, what is to be done about the dark side of African witchcraft and Voodoo in London, as well as any faith based abuses, the Pakistani pimps in Lancashire/Yorkshire and Muslim extremism in Britain? These issues create divisions within our multicultural society. Are we not united against all of these things, no matter which background we come from? - and in light of this, communities have a responsibility to bring to light any of this activity instead of sweeping it under the carpet. I hope that Kristy's parents find the strength to carry on. I would like to also quote part of an article by Albert Tucker in the Guardian about what IS being done... Any suggestion that this level and type of abuse is endemic to an African culture is plainly wrong. The cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, Eunice Spry a Jehovah's Witness who forced sticks down the throats of her foster children and made them eat their own vomit or Khyra Ishaq, who was starved to death because her Muslim mother and stepfather believed she was possessed by an evil spirit, were all received in horror and condemned by their faith communities. We are in no doubt that African communities are committed to combating child abuse. Over the last five years Trust for London has been working with communities on this issue, training 4,000 church officers. This has helped to educate people about children's rights and given people the strength to disclose other types of abuse not all linked to a belief in witchcraft or spirit possession. We've also helped frontline employees in the police, education and social services to understand faith-based abuse. Organisations we fund, such as UK Congolese Safeguarding Action Group, Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service and Africans Unite Against Child Abuse, have created forums for parents and children to discuss this issue. Many children can now spot the signs of faith-based abuse, and challenge parents or pastors when they suspect this is happening. Only by working together will we really be able to prevent the mistreatment of children by those who should be caring for them. read more here... http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...?newsfeed=true
These are abominable crimes , which I'm glad to learn some sections of religious groups are also combating + not ignoring. The deplorable problem takes many forms and is more horrendous and far reaching . --- France has been shocked by the scale of abuse revealed at the Angers paedophile trial, where 65 adults were accused of sexually abusing 45 children. It was the biggest criminal trial in recent French history. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4697747.stm Every 6 hours a child dies in the United States due to abuse or neglect Child abuse is an American epidemic. In 2005, more than 3.5 million children were reported as victims of child abuse or neglect. The staggering truth is that before today is over, four children will DIE because their little bodies cannot bear any more abuse. http://www.cardinalmccloskeyservices.org/ca_facts.shtml EU fights huge increase in web child abuse http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/04/child-sex-abuse-websites-increase DUBLIN — It often starts as a voice in the wilderness, but can swell into an entire nation's demand for truth. From Ireland to Germany, Europe's many victims of child abuse in the Roman Catholic church are finally breaking social taboos and confronting the clergy to face its demons. Ireland was the first in Europe to confront the church's worldwide custom of shielding pedophile priests from the law and public scandal. Now that legacy of.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/13/catholic-church-child-abu_n_497942.html Two out of every three children in India are physically abused, according to a landmark government study.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6539027.stm Forty million children younger than 15 are victims of violence, abuse, and neglect in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a 2006 UNICEF report. Much of this violence takes place in the home, but Gallup surveys in the region show most adults who know of a child who was beaten or physically mistreated by a family member in the past month say this incident went unreported. http://www.gallup.com/poll/139376/child-abuse-underreported-latin-america.aspx SHAME ON THEM ALL . ..
