News

Hackney Council has launched a review after two women and a man were remanded in custody on Friday after they were found guilty of child cruelty charges against an eight-year-old child, writes Clare Jerrom.

The child’s aunt, who cannot be named, and a distant relative Sita Kisanga tortured the girl and threatened to drown her believing she was involved in witchcraft.

They rubbed chilli peppers into her eyes, stabbed her in the chest and stuffed her into a laundry bag. It was claimed they planned to drown her in a canal until Sebastian Pinto, another distant relative, intervened.

The aunt brought her to Britain from Angola in August 2002 pretending to be her mother and claimed asylum. She was then taken to live in Hackney, east London, with Kisanga where the abuse began.

Kisanga and the aunt were found guilty of a string of child cruelty charges. Pinto was convicted of aiding and abetting child cruelty.

The chief executive of Hackney Council Penny Thompson said: “The City and Hackney Safeguarding Board has agreed to undertake an independent review which will look in detail at all agencies’ involvement in the case to establish whether or not lessons can be learned which will help us strengthen our practice and procedures for the future.”

Neighbouring Haringey Council currently has responsibility for the care of the child.

The three will be sentenced on 8 July.