Deadly superstitions - Nigeria's "witch children" | DW Documentary

Children are being banished, raped, and even murdered. Aid organizations estimate that thousands of boys and girls are accused of being witches every year. Often, it’s their own parents who think their sons or daughters are possessed by demons.

In the state of Akwa Ibom in southeastern Nigeria, it is common for children to be branded witches and face neglect and physical harm. Some Christian churches even perpetuate these superstitious beliefs, and self-proclaimed healers make good money performing strange exorcism rituals. David Umen and his wife Anja Lovén have made it their mission to fight this witch craze. They give the young victims a new home—but these boys and girls struggle to cope with the trauma of being abused and abandoned by their own parents. A report by Jan-Philipp Scholz.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #nigeria #superstition #witchcraft
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