Britain’s leading Black Church leaders have released a joint statement rebuking a BBC documentary, saying that the programme portrayed inaccurate stereotypical attitudes towards children among black Christians.
A BBC2 documentary entitled ‘Witch Child’ was screened on 4th April 2006, and followed Dr Richard Hoskins, who is a specialist in African religions.During the programme the practice of exorcism was filmed in the Congo in graphic detail, and it was alleged that in Britain young children are abused, and even killed by their parents or relatives in the belief that they have been possessed by evil spirits.
Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, the Secretary of Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs (MECA), which is part of Churches Together in England, and also the Chair of the Council of Black-led Churches in Birmingham, said, “We are aware that some cases of child abuse have come to light in the UK, which the police are investigating with our full cooperation. But to imply, as this broadcast seemed to do, that abuse of children is widespread amongst black Christians in the UK is misleading and very unhelpful.
“The failure of the documentary to make the distinction between legitimate and acceptable practices of faith within the Church as opposed to occult and harmful cultural practices means the Church was again misrepresented.”
