Saving Africa's Witch Children: will feature shocking stories of torture inflicted on children. Photograph: Channel 4
Oscar-nominated actor Sophie Okonedo is to narrate a hard-hitting Dispatches program for Channel 4 about children in Nigeria who are tortured for being witches.
Channel 4 hopes the film, Saving Africa's Witch Children, will have as much impact as last year's Dispatches documentary, China's Stolen Children.
Sophie Okonedo: nominated for an Oscar for Hotel Rwanda. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images The new program, which is due to air on Wednesday November 12, will look at the phenomenon of children who are blamed for catastrophes, death and famine and branded witches in some of the poorest parts of Nigeria.
Saving Africa's Witch Children follows Briton Gary Foxcroft, who has devoted his life to raising money to help the children and who works with Nigerian Sam Itauma, who runs a shelter for children accused of witchcraft.
The documentary will feature shocking stories of torture inflicted on children, including a 13-year-old who was tied up with chicken wire and starved and beaten for two weeks, and a 14-year-old girl who was burned with acid before her mother attempted to bury her alive.
One 17-year-old was left brain-damaged after having a three-inch nail driven into her skull.
The film will feature interviews with preachers from the churches that brand children witches or wizards and charge their parents to "exorcise" the spirits.
One preacher, who calls himself "The Bishop", told the program that he had killed 110 people.
Cameras filmed him as he administered a mixture of pure alcohol, a substance known as "African mercury" and his own blood to one child accused of witchcraft.
The film, a Red Rebel Films and Southern Star Factual co-production, was produced and directed by Mags Gavan and Joost Van der Valk and executive produced by Alice Keens-Soper. It was ordered by the Channel 4 commissioning editor for religion, Aaqil Ahmed.
Okonedo, who was nominated for an Oscar for the movie Hotel Rwanda, has a Nigerian father.
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8 comments:
Omg where do i start.I have watched many programs over the years concerning children and the different levels of abuse that they suffer,all so horrendous,but this has just totally floored me.It has taken me a long while to pull myself together and stop crying,i can normally keep myself together but not tonight.The last shot of that poor girl wailing after her mother has brought me to my knees,her suffering was so unbearable and even more unnecessary.I find it hard to sit and watch this in the comfort of my nice bloody living room when i know what is going on now in Nigeria.That these parents can be made to believe that there children are true witches is incomprehensible to me.Something has to be done,never have i felt more passionately about something,somehow we must make a difference.Please if anyone knows of anyway in which i can do anything will they please let me know,i would give my time gladly if there was anyway in which i could try to make a difference.Makes me want to just get on a plane and leave tonight..This will haunt me for ever.
Michelle, I am with you on this, I was horrified watching it last night and like you sad I have never seen anything like this. although it was very disturbing the true reality of what goes on is truly horrific.I am searching for anywhere I can help out, the steppingstones organisation was mentioned a few times but i can not seem to be able to find it anywhere.if you know of anything let me know, maybe we can help make a difference somehow ?
i was absolutely disgusted at the fact that this child abuse is being allowed to go on in this day and age and the government are turning a blind eye. It needs to be made high profile to raise public awareness and these so called christians should be on trial for child abuse and murder, then locked up and never see the light of day again.
I would be willing to give up my spare time if i could help
Liz
Dispatches programme Ch 4 - 12th Nov. The work of Stepping Stones Charity in Nigeria.
This struck right at my heart and graphically depicted strong and cruel people taking advantage of weaker scared people. The main victims - young, innocent children that are exposed to the most barbaric treatment by adults that ought to be strung up by their nether regions.
The scenes were more pagan than anything else, if killing and maiming is going on to such an extent, then Nigeria needs some heavy international pressure to bring about prosecutions of some of those so called Phophets and Prohpetesses..... far from being the cure, they are more like witches, wizards and devils themselves, preying on such vulnerable people.
I'd like to see the Church play a part in spreading the word to these poor people in this region that witchcraft and witches do not exist, other than to create opportunities for wealth and abuse for unscrupulous bullies.
Gary Foxcroft is commendable and frankly very brave. It scared me in the comfort of my own home, when he was taking shelter with poor Mary in that corrugated shelter, while a baying mob was outside with sharpened panga's...
This reminds me more of the middle ages than 2008.
I'm well aware that Africa is out of step in terms of development but this is a shocker......
I did a search for their website;
www.steppingstonesnigeria.org
I will send them a donation - TODAY ! they need all the help they can get ......
One thing - fair play to the govenor of the state of Akwa Ibom for responding to their demonstration instead of turning them all away at gunpoint. Its a step in the right direction to have him enact the child's right act, much more needs to be done but its a good start.
I have never seen anything like it these children are the future of Nigeria and deserve the best start available to them . After watching the documentary i couldn't sleep it has really shocked me. If there is any thing i could do please let me know. The home were the children live would they take donations of clothing and toys please get in touch christina
Throughout my blog are ways to help. There is a petition to sign. Organizations to donate to but I suggest Stepping Stones Nigeria(http://www.steppingstonesnigeria.org/) and/or Child's Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN)(http://crarn.tripod.com/index.html). Also you could teem up with me by joining Care2(http://www.care2.com/).
I watched the programe with my boyfriend and we both couldn't believe what we were seeing. This was horrific the pain, mental and physical that these poor innocent kids were going through was heart renching. I just want to help in any way I can as well. I have signed all the petitons but what else can we do to help. I'll never forget this program the children need as much help as possible, is there anything we can do?
wel a fink A WTCHD DA PROGRAM
IT WAS SOOOO UPSETIN
A FELT LYK CRYIN
A CNT BELEIVE WOTS HAPENIN
2 SO UNG INOCENT CHILDREN
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