- UK police investigated only seven cases of ritualistic child abuse in 2024 out of 4,450 instances of overall abuse against children – despite a national helpline receiving over 1,000 calls mentioning organised and ritualistic abuse.
- Experts describe ritualistic child abuse as the 'most shadowed form of abuse,' with a survey finding 38 per cent of UK psychologists have dealt with such cases.
- The abuse often involves prolonged torture, control and silencing of victims through rituals, witchcraft, or spirit possession, frequently occurring within closed family networks and being intergenerational.
- Notable cases include the Glasgow paedophile ring, where children were subjected to ritualistic abuse, and the 2005 torture and death of Victoria Climbie following accusations of witchcraft.
- A new report recommends urgent training for frontline staff to recognise ritualistic abuse and calls for police forces to designate Single Points of Contact to improve intelligence sharing.
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