Witchcraft in London? Tragically, it happens

By Annabel Roberts, NBC News

LONDON ? At London's Old Bailey, the highest criminal court in Britain, a desperate family tragedy is unfolding in courtroom number five.

It involves torture, death ? and witchcraft.

Harrowing sobs have echoed round the old courtroom as different members of one family have given evidence in the case of Magalie Bamu and her boyfriend Eric Bikubi, both accused of torturing Magalie's 15-year-old brother, Kristy Bamu, to death because they believed he was a witch.

Tale of torture
A horrifying picture has emerged of the last days of the boy?s life.

Kristy came to Britain with four brothers and sisters from his home in Paris to spend Christmas 2010 with his older sister Magalie. They stayed with her at the flat she shared with Bikubi, 28, in a section of eastern London.

That, prosecutors allege, is when things went bad.? The court heard that Bikubi accused three of the young visitors of witchcraft, and started taunting and beating them. Then he found some urine soaked underwear hidden in the flat's kitchen, which Kristy admitted was his. At that point, prosecutors said, Bikubi allegedly started to focus his accusations on Kristy and began to torture and beat the teenager in an attempt to oust out the evil in him.

Details of the torture have been spelled out to the jury by the children. They say Bikubi pulled Kristy's ears with pliers, rammed a metal tube into his mouth to dislodge his teeth, hit him with a hammer, and dropped tiles on to his head while forcing some of his siblings to hold him down and take part in the attacks.

Prosecutor Brian Altman described the pitting of sibling against sibling as "a staggering act of depravity and cruelty.?

One child, who has not been named, told the court the attacks wore Bikubi out to the point where he said he needed a rest and asked his girlfriend Magalie, Kristy's 28-year old sister, to take over.

"He said 'I've had enough, I need to have a rest. And Magalie hit him hard and quickly.'"

Eventually Bikubi filled a bathtub and instructed Kristy to get into it. According to the same sibling, as the water level rose Kristy tried to lift his body out, but was too weak. Eventually he slipped under the surface of the water, and drowned. It was Christmas Day.

One sister, Kelly Bamu, 21, told the court that Magalie could have stopped the abuse, but did nothing.

"Kristy asked for forgiveness. He asked again and again. Magalie did absolutely nothing. She didn't lift a finger," she said. "Magalie deserves to die for what they have done. I have no pity for her. She had no pity for us."

According to police, Kristy's body was covered in cuts and bruises; they say he had 101 injuries.

Bikubi denies murder, but has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Magalie denies murder.

Belief in witchcraft
Kristy's family is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The jury has been told that witchcraft, or "kindoki," is widespread there and that it is condoned by some Christian churches across Africa and by their affiliated congregations worldwide.

Quite often if a family is experiencing setbacks, adults turn on a child in the belief that he or she is a vehicle for witchcraft and is responsible for their misfortunes. If the breadwinner loses a job, for example, and the family is struggling financially, or a family member has a car accident ? this may be attributed to the bad spirits that have taken hold of the child.

The response can be to abuse the child physically and emotionally, or to inflict suffering through starvation and neglect. There is a belief that the child will benefit from punishment, that they may be cured, without considering the harm this may cause.

Experts say cases often occur in situations of informal fostering ? where a child has been sent to live with an aunt, uncle or distant relative. But the extent is hard to quantify, according to Stephanie Yorath of the Victoria Climbie Foundation, an organization that promotes child protection, because of under-reporting.?

Yorath says very often the information detailing abuse is not recorded by investigating authorities, or the symptoms go unrecognized, or even more commonly, unreported by the child victims.

Autistic children are particularly vulnerable, said Thomas Bikebi of London's Congolese Family Center, who added that they are frequently picked out as witches and, along with others, can be sent back to Congo for exorcism. They often do not return.

The sanctioning of this abuse by some Christian churches is particularly alarming, according to Debbie Ariyo of AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse). She says some pastors are known to encourage adults to slap children or to make them fast, to rid them of evil spirits.

Bikebi believes the "problem is huge ... and fueled by poverty.? These rogue pastors are "exploiting the belief system to make money. Many people go to church to seek help with the economic situation they are facing. The pastor finds a scapegoat: the child. Parents have to pay for the pastor to perform the exorcism,? said Bikebi.

And there is concern that negative attention arising from an explosive trial like this one has the unwanted effect of driving improper practices further underground.

Such criminality occurs in many cultures and ethnic groups, including some in South America and Asia, but the majority of cases recorded in Britain occur in African communities.

Meanwhile, advocates are hoping the trial will raise awareness of the issue. Rachael Takens-Milne of the Trust for London, an organization funding solutions for vulnerable children, says there are programs to train caregivers and social workers to recognize when witchcraft is motivating child abuse.

It?s a view certainly shared by Kristy?s mother, Jacqueline, whose suffering throughout the trial has been heart-wrenchingly evident.

Toward the end of giving her evidence, she sobbed and said that she wants "to make people aware of what has happened between her children so such things don't happen to another family.???

Source: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/25/10235297-witchcraft-in-london-tragically-it-happens

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