CHILD ABUSE LINKED TO BELIEF
IN SPIRIT POSSESSION: A LOCAL
PERSPECTIVE
Michael MacKay
Group Manager
Newham : The Local Context
• Population of 240,000
• 75,000 children and young people
• High population churn with estimated 20% of population either
leaving or arriving in the borough each year
• 35% of school pupils have English as their first language
• 4000 children and young people have a disability
Slide 2
Newham : The Local Context
Ethnicity Breakdown
• White 28%
• Black Caribbean 6.5%
• Black African 16.5%
• Black Other 3%
• Pakistani 11.1%
•
•
•
•
•
Bangladeshi 10.6%
Chinese 1.6%
Other Asian 5%
Other 5.7%
Total BAME 72.1%
Slide 3
Newham : The Local Context
• 2500 children and young people have a learning
disability
• 450 children and young people are in care
• 310 children and young people have a child
protection plan
• 94 known faith based groups/organisations
Slide 4
The KB Case
• Kristy and siblings from France on holiday December
2010
• Not known to local agencies
• Kristy died 25/12/2010
• Eric and Magalie had lived in London since they were
children. Not known to Newham based agencies.
• Eric had been in care as young man. Limited knowledge
of Magalie’s background
• Eric and Magalie found guilty of murder
• Press coverage focused on aspect of spirit
possession/witchcraft
Slide 5
Newham's Response
• Newham Safeguarding Children Board more
focused on this issue
• Needed to understand more
• Under reporting of concerns
• London Councils Project already in place Accelerated pace locally
• Local decision to focus primarily on abuse linked to
a belief in spirit possession in Muslim communities
and African Christian communities
Slide 6
What the Newham Safeguarding
Children Board Did…
• Community Engagement including focus groups with
stakeholders. We learned:
– There is a mistrust of statutory services
– Community not clear about legislation and their
responsibilities
– Faith and community leaders as ‘Change Agents’
– Need for professionals to be more culturally
competent
Slide 7
What the Newham Safeguarding
Children Board Did…
• Developed Faith and Culture Sub Group
• Prioritised learning from faith-based abuse in
Business Plan
• Established data base of faith groups
• Multi-Agency Workforce Development
• Established links to Project Violet
• National Working Group
Slide 8
What the Newham Safeguarding
Children Board Did…
• Built relationships with organisations e.g. Trust for
London, AFRUCA, Congolese Family Centre
• Building network of community and faith leaders as
‘Change Agents’
• Developing integrated response to trauma
• Established LSCB permanent Sub Group
Slide 9
Challenges
• Building trust with partners
• Urgency but relationship building takes time
• Early intervention-thresholds
• Competing priorities
• Reporting levels
Slide 10
What Next?
• Community and faith based groups as active
members of LSCB – leading on this agenda
• Need to know faith based groups
• All staff training built into mainstream development
programmes across the partnership
• Increased reporting
• Regional: London Councils Sub Group
• National: Action Plan
Slide 11