The headline writers have been busy, from the relatively
restrained “'Witchcraft' abuse cases on the rise” on the BBC website through “Child abuse cases involving witchcraft and exorcism are on the rise,
Scotland Yard has warned” in the Daily Mail to the less inhibited “Surge in number of child abuse cases involving
witchcraft accusations” in the Independent;
not to mention to the near hysterical “Mother bit child on face as ‘witchcraft’
abuse cases soar”, courtesy of London24 .
The truth of the matter is that fluctuations in small
numbers are usually just that – fluctuations rather than trends. And because
child abuse is generally under-reported any kind of initiative associated with
a particular type of abuse, such as the Metropolitan Police’s Project Violet, is likely to uncover
cases that would otherwise not have come to light.
We all have a responsibility to keep cool heads when it
comes to trends in the prevalence and incidence of child abuse and neglect; and
be especially careful not to stoke any kind of moral panic that might divert
attention and resources from mainstream services.
Abusing children by accusing them of witchcraft and
performing painful and frightening exorcism rituals on them are deplorable and disgusting forms
of maltreatment, but nobody should suggest that we are experiencing a deluge of
this type of abuse. Rather we are just learning more about it.
