Cape Town - The African Child Policy Forum has urged African governments to stamp out witchcraft attacks against children.
According to research conducted by ACPF, accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks against African children are hidden and even ignored.
The report has been highlighted as National Child Protection Week is observed.
They have deemed this as one of the most gruesome forms of violence against children.
ACPF said despite national child protection laws, these acts continued in countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Niger, Angola, eSwatini and South Africa.
Dr Joan Nyanyuki, executive director of ACPF, said the abuse and act of violence had been ignored for too long and which has resulted in death in some cases.
“Africans have ignored this horrific violence for far too long. It is utterly unacceptable that witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks on children are still widespread across the continent.
“Governments must uncover this hidden shame, and address these crimes and extreme forms of violence, which have life threatening effects and often result in the death of innocent children.”
The report focuses on the existence of witchcraft and the failure of the government to react despite being signatories to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Nyanyuki added children living with albinism were at the greatest risk of being used for ritual attacks and violence.
“Many countries’ laws do not explicitly prohibit accusations of witchcraft against a child, which in itself is an act of psychological violence. Worse still, beyond their failure to prevent these accusations and violent attacks, governments have also failed to minimise the harm children suffered when they fall victims.”
“African states must uphold their obligations to protect all children, especially those who are vulnerable, at risk of being accused of being witches and of facing ritual killings.
“Among those in need of greatest protection are children with albinism who face the most gruesome forms of ritual attacks which result in extreme violence and death. Such accusations and attacks are crimes and must be treated as such - they must be outlawed and punished.”
ACPF highlighted the case of a 13-year-old girl from Benin who spent years in a protection centre after she was accused of witchcraft and was ostracised by her family and community, and when she returned, she was forced back to a safe place.
“The horror that children accused of witchcraft are subjected to is indescribable.
“They suffer public humiliation, forced confessions, torture, violent beatings, are forced to ingest traditional ‘cleansing’ medicines, are expelled from their homes, ostracised from their communities, maimed and, in extreme cases, murdered.
“They carry the scars of isolation, neglect and victimisation on their mental health for their entire lives,” Dr Nyanyuki added.
The report further acknowledges progress in tackling the abduction, murder and mutilation of children with albinism for body parts to use in so-called ‘magical medicines.
A case that has made headlines in South Africa is that of an ex-convict with his two alleged accomplices who are in the dock for the murder of a girl and are believed to have harvested her human tissue.
Collen Hlongwane, 36, who is an ex-prisoner, Ntombikayise Ngwenya, 40, and Thapelo Ngomane, 25, made an appearance at KaBokweni Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga last week.
They were charged with the murder of six-year-old Bonhle Mashiyane, who was missing.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Monica Nyuswa said the girl was last seen walking with Hlongwane in Mganduzweni, near the White Rive,r on April 30.
“Her body was found in the bushes on Saturday, a few metres away from her home, with some body parts missing.”