Abuse linked to witchcraft

A report, Child abuse linked to accusations of possession" or "witchcraft" was published by the Department for Education and Skills in June 2006 and provides a review of cases already known to the relevant authorities. It was commissioned by the Government to look at the extent of the problem. The report stated that beliefs in "possession" and "witchcraft" have been a hidden problem in some parts of society. The number of cases of child abuse linked to accusations of "possession" and "witchcraft" are small compared to the total number of children abused each year' but the nature of the cases is disturbing. The Government asserted that the new Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance on inter-agency working will be backed up and reinforced by specific good practice guidelines which will ensure that agencies are clear as to how to identify this type of abuse and what to do to safeguard the children concerned. See August [2006] Fam Law for the full news article.