African witchcraft pastors escape law
Pastor Dale Morgan
African witchcraft pastors escape law*
By Daily Telegraph Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:40am GMT 26/01/2007
The law must be changed to make it a criminal offence to demonise a
child, campaigners said yesterday.
The demand comes after police said they were unable to charge an African
pastor who accused children of witchcraft in this country.
Dieudonne Tukala was arrested on suspicion of inciting child cruelty
last January following a joint investigation by the Today programme and
Newsnight.
The investigation, broadcast last year, connected Mr Tukala to a case
where a father branded his son with an iron because he believed the
child was a witch.
It also spoke to other parents who said Mr Tukala told them to send
their children back to Africa where he could pray for them to die.
In an interview on Today and Newsnight yesterday the pastor denied
having accused children of witchcraft or of having seen the boy who was
branded with a steam iron.
So-called "child witches" have been murdered in some African countries.
The Metropolitan Police launched an inquiry, but after 10 months of
investigation no charges have been brought.
It is not against the law to accuse a child of witchcraft or to pray for
a child to die.
Debbie Ariyo, the director of the charity AFRUCA told Today: "You're
telling a child 'you've been responsible for killing people, destroying
people's lives' – that does actually constitute emotional abuse."
Asked if religious leaders who accuse a child of witchcraft should face
jail, Miss Ariyo said: "I think they should."
Since January 2000, the Metropolitan Police has dealt with 88
allegations of what it calls ritualistic abuse. As yet no pastor has
been charged as a result of their involvement.
One of the few cases to come to court was that of Victoria Climbie,
eight, who died at the hands of her great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and
her boyfriend in London in 2000.
Kouao claimed the girl's death was due to witchcraft. She was convicted
of murder.