DOUBTFUL NEWS
October 8, 2014
P. Robinson
Police in U.K. plan to tackle religious-based child abuse
by idoubtit
As you may be able to tell if you are a regular reader of Doubtful News, the number of cases of ritualistic or faith-based abuse of children reported to Scotland Yard has risen every year. This response is an update to a story we brought you from August 2012.
BBC News – Rise in ‘witchcraft’ child abuse cases.
New guidance is being issued to social workers, healthcare staff and teachers on how to spot children at risk of abuse linked to witchcraft after a rise in cases reported to police.
The Metropolitan Police have received 27 allegations in the past year.
Examples include children being dunked in a bath, swung around and smacked to “drive out the devil”.
On Wednesday, police officers will meet teachers and others working with young people to discuss ways to tackle the issue.
Simon Bass from the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service said: “We are pleased that the Metropolitan Police has undertaken such great work in this area, but we are convinced that this form of abuse is hidden, and that the statutory agencies across the UK are facing similar situations.”
The Metropolitan Police Service is collaborating with the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service to raise awareness on this issue. It’s past time that this issue be brought out into the light. You do not have ANY right to abuse children for your belief system. The more this message gets out, the less the religious will consider the extremes when disciplining or trying to “fix” a child.
Will this new social education help? Hard to say. But it’s a good sign to bring groups together to do something about it.
As we have noticed, many people bring their old beliefs to their new society. They might have found more acceptable circumstances there. Not here.
International Answer 