Christian Pastors Denounce African Children as Witches: Murder, Torture and Abuse on the Rise

In January, I reported events taking place in Papau New Guinea where witchcraft was on trial. Young girls were the victims of witchcraft accusations and were subsequently tortured, abused and put to death. Today's victims of witchcraft accusations live in Africa. The main victims are children. And the main denouncers of the African children are Christian Pastors.

The Huffington Post reported that 15,000 children have been denounced as child witches in Nigeria over the past decade. 1,000 children have been brutally murdered often by their own family members. Those who are not murdered often are the victims of torture and abuse. One mother tried to saw off the top of her daughters skull, another victim had a nail driven into her head, another was buried alive, one was doused in caustic acid, and another was chained, beaten and starved by her family pastor whom her uncle paid $60 for the exorcism.

One case involved a nine year old boy named Nwanaokwo Edet. His family pastor denounced him as a child witch. His father performed an exorcism on him that involved forcing acid down his throat. The acid spilled over his face and eyes as he struggled away from his father. The church that denounced this boy was Mount Zion Lighthouse. (Source: African Children Denounced As Witches)

Other churches have been involved with denouncing African children as witches. The Nigeria Apostolic Church, Liberty Gospel Church and Mount Zion Lighthouse are just a few churches involved with denouncing children as witches. Helen Ukpabio is the head of Liberty Gospel Church and does not deny that she has denounced children as being witches. Witchcraft DVDs and books are passed out among her followers. In one DVD, child witches are portrayed while ripping a man's eyeballs out. Ukpabio however claims that her exorcisms of the children accused of witchcraft is non-abusive and free.

Christian Pastors who denounce African children as being witches often charge the family a fee to exorcise the demon from the child. These fees can range from $60 to $270 depending on if a series of exorcisms is needed.

Akwa Ibom has made it illegal to denounce children as witches. The penalty for being found guilty of branding a child with the term "witch" could be sentenced up to 12 years in prison. (Source: CNN Abuse of Child Witches)Activist organizations like Stepping Stones Nigeria, Children's Rights and Rehabilitation Networkand the United Nations Children's Fund are working to make the denouncing of children as witches illegal everywhere in Africa as well as educating pastors about the new child rights law and working to get pastors to sign forms denouncing abuse.

Read more about this situation here:

African Children Denounced As Witches by Christian Pastors

Photo of African Children Denounced As Witches

Abuse of Child "Witches" on the Rise