Witchcraft allegations contained in leaked report

A confidential report commissioned by the Metropolitan Police
which contains claims of abuse carried out against African children
trafficked into the UK has called for social services to record the
number of faith groups operating in their areas, writes
Amy Taylor.

The report, the result of a 10-month research project funded by
the Met to raise awareness of child abuse in Black and Asian
communities in Hackney and Newham, features unsubstantiated
allegations from community members that boys unblemished by
circumcision were being sacrificed in the UK by people practicing 
witchcraft.

There were also claims that children were being sexually abused
by men with HIV who believed that if they had sex with a child they
would be cleansed.

The authors of the report, which was leaked to BBC Radio
4’s Today programme, stressed that the allegations had not
been investigated.

A Met Police spokesperson said the report, which consulted
social workers, race relations experts and human rights lawyers,
was being considered at the “highest level” prior to
its publication at the end of the month.