Children Accused of Witchcraft - UNICEF

1 Children Accused of Witchcraft An anthropological study of contemporary practices in Africa Children Accused of Witchcraft 2 Children Accused of Witchcraft An anthropological study of contemporary practices in Africa April 2010 Aleksandra Cimpric UNICEF WCARO, Dakar Contents Contents .. 1 Executive 1 INTRODUCTION .. 5 Ambiguous terminology ..7 Anthropological studies of Witchcraft ..8 Historical overview .. 8 Witchcraft in contemporary 9 The Witchcraft accusations.

2 12 Areas documented ..14 Predominance of What is the profile of a child Accused of Witchcraft ? ..16 The right age for accusations?.. 16 The profile of Children targeted by 17 Boys or girls?.. 17 The power of child 17 Why Children are Transformation of representations from the old witch to the child witch .. 19 Child witches as the result of the multi crisis .. 20 Witchcraft fantasies and the other world ..24 Abnormal births ..26 Albino Children on the market ..27 Twins Sacred monsters.

3 30 The deliverance of child Revivalist churches .. 33 Deliverance and the spiritual war .. 33 The role of pastor prophets and spiritual 34 Miracle 35 Treatment by traditional healers ..37 The judicial system ..39 Anti witch The victimization process the double victimization of 40 Abandonment and street Stigmatization and discrimination ..44 6. Results of protection policies for Children Accused of 7. Recommendations ..47 50 Children Accused of Witchcraft Executive summary Introduction This study addresses the issue of Children who are victims of violence and mistreatment due to local beliefs, representations and practices, in particular, relating to Witchcraft .

4 While the harmful consequences of these beliefs have been publicised internationally, their origins often remain unclear. The objective of the present document, therefore, is to reveal and analyze the diversity and complexity of these phenomena often falsely associated with African tradition related to beliefs in Witchcraft and the mystical world. Using examples from sub Saharan Africa, the study aims to clarify the basis for certain social practices that are wholly or partially misunderstood by western observers.

5 This ignorance of local social norms, creates a gulf of misunderstanding between local social actors and the international framework of norms. Behaviours commonly associated with accusations of Witchcraft include violence, mistreatment, abuse, infanticide and the abandonment of Children . From a western perspective, such practices are violations of the rights of Children . The objective of this study is to understand both the complexity and the variety of the phenomena described, as well as the causes, which are not only cultural and social, but also economic and political.

6 The study targets child protection agencies and aims to promote better understanding of local representations and beliefs, as well as to provide guidance on effective child protection interventions. Witchcraft accusations against Children Children Accused of Witchcraft are subject to psychological and physical violence, first by family members and their circle of friends, then by church pastors or traditional healers. Once Accused of Witchcraft , Children are stigmatized and discriminated for life. Increasingly vulnerable and caught in a cycle of accusation, they risk yet further accusations of Witchcraft .

7 Children Accused of Witchcraft may be killed, although more often they are abandoned by their parents and live on the street. A large number of street Children have been Accused of Witchcraft within the family circle. These Children are more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence and to abuse by the authorities. In order to survive and to escape appalling living conditions, they use drugs and alcohol. Often victims of sexual exploitation, they are at increased risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection.

8 Belief in Witchcraft is widespread across sub Saharan African countries. It was previously believed that these beliefs and socio cultural practices would disappear over time, but the current situation indicates the contrary. Far from fading away, these social and cultural representations have been maintained and transformed in order to adapt to contemporary contexts. The notion of Witchcraft 1 is so flexible and elastic that it is able to integrate into all areas of life, including the most modern (Geschiere, 1995). For this reason, contemporary Witchcraft can no longer be explained in terms of African tradition.

9 Without wishing to ignore the history and culture of Witchcraft , the current forms of belief are more a product of an invented tradition (Hobsbawm, 2006), or perhaps a reinvented tradition. Furthermore, the notion of Witchcraft today covers a multitude of clearly distinct occult phenomena that should be understood in their specific context. The notion of Witchcraft , despite its suggestion of multiple abilities, can perhaps be defined, in a large majority of African countries, as the ability to harm someone through the use of mystical power.

10 Consequently, the sorcerer or witch embodies this wicked persona, driven to commit evil 1 The notion of Witchcraft is only a translation, often inappropriate, of vernacular expressions. 1 Children Accused of Witchcraft deeds under the influence of the force of Witchcraft . Accusations are still the most visible manifestations of belief in Witchcraft . Without denying this belief, the violent nature of accusations deserves greater attention from governments and local and international non governmental organizations (NGOs).