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This report highlights the issue of children accused of witchcraft in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The report is based on the
experience of Save the Children in DRC in reunifying and reintegrating
almost 2,000 children in the cities of Kinshasa and Mbuyi-Mayi.
The following observations are highlighted:
- a combination of external threats push parents or guardians to
interpret a child’s individual characteristics as being signs of
witchcraft. This may be furthered by the revivalist churches, which
confirm or discover signs of witchcraft
- child witchcraft is a symptom of a more serious problem that
involves extreme violence within a traumatic social space, on the verge
of disintegration
- accusations of witchcraft represent an attempt to resolve a crisis
within the family, but the solutions proposed by the revivalist churches
are not successful in resolving these problems. The price paid by the
child is extremely high
- the different religious and magical movements fuel hatred and
violence against children. Most of the churches operate on a
profit-making basis where practicing exorcism results in financial gain
- there is a desperate lack of alternatives for parents in terms of
educating and bringing up their children.
The recommendations outlined in the report centre on four issues:
- to continue and strengthen the awareness raising work begun with
religious leaders
- to increase State regulation of church operations and to create
mechanisms to monitor churches that may be mistreating and abusing
children and adults accused of witchcraft
- to strengthen work with parents through discussion and awareness
raising groups such as the “parents’ discussion groups”
- to increase knowledge of violence against children as a first step
towards an action plan to prevent violence. This should form part of the
national strategy for social protection.
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