Violence Against ‘Child Witches’ Soars
CNN reports:
They are blamed for causing illness, death and destruction, prompting some communities to put them through harrowing punishments to “cleanse” them of their supposed magical powers. “Children accused of witchcraft are often incarcerated in churches for weeks on end and beaten, starved and tortured in order to extract a confession,” said Gary Foxcroft, program director of Stepping Stones Nigeria, a nonprofit that helps alleged witch children in the region.
The issue of “child witches” is soaring in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Many of those targeted have traits that make them stand out, including learning disabilities, stubbornness and ailments such as epilepsy. Resultant treatment can range from violence, to jailing, to social and familial ostracization and abandonment. Once a child is branded a witch, the stigma can last forever.
Pastors have been accused of worsening the problem by claiming to have powers to recognize and exorcise “child witches,” sometimes for a fee, aid workers said. “Unfortunately, the fact remains that this belief system is being spread by so-called Christians,” says Foxcroft.
