Article: Abuse Linked to Spiritual and Religious Belief

In August 2012  the Government published a National action plan for tackling child abuse linked to faith or belief for England.  This brings together actions agreed between central Government and local statutory partners, faith leaders, voluntary sector organisations and the Metropolitan Police, working together on the National Working Group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief.  

This plan is intended to help raise awareness of the issue of child abuse linked to faith or belief and to encourage people to take practical steps to prevent such abuse. It looks at tackling abuse linked to faith or belief from the perspective of the child, parent, community and faith group members and child practitioners. It is organised into four themes:

  • engaging communities
  • empowering practitioners
  • supporting victims and witnesses
  • communicating key messages

The action plan highlights areas where more needs to be done by government, local agencies, voluntary and faith and community sector partners to address this horrific form of abuse.

In early 2011, the issue of abuse and neglect resulting from accusations that children were witches or possessed in some migrant African communities in England was raised with the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families the Chief Executive of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA).  This issue was discussed with participants from AFRUCA, the Victoria Climbié Foundation, the Congolese Family Centre, Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB), the Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), Trust for London, London Safeguarding Children Board, the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. It was agreed that stronger coordination of activity was needed to raise awareness of the issue, develop the skills of practitioners and support local communities to tackle such abuse which resulted in the establishment of the National Working Group to develop the action plan and to ensure ownership rested jointly with all partners.

See the relevant Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Procedure for further informaiton

Barnsley Safeguarding Children Board Policies and Procedures are available here