Child Witches: Accused in the Name of Jesus

This promises to be an interesting Nightline. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some evangelical pastors have been accusing some unruly children of witchcraft and holding exorcisms.

WARNING: This clip footage from Nightline is disturbing.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7619753

Here's the release:

In a special edition of "Nightline," ABC News anchor Dan Harris documents a new and growing phenomenon in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children are accused of witchcraft by Evangelical pastors and subjected to often abusive "exorcisms" held at churches throughout the Congolese capital। Harris, who covers faith issues for the network, and a team of producers recently traveled to the region to see first-hand how this new breed of Evangelical pastor profits from this activity, which regularly leads to children being banished from their homes by their own families. As Harris reports, decades of war and poverty in the region have contributed to a virtual epidemic of exorcisms, performed with the cooperation of the children's own parents. A preview of the story will air on "World News with Charles Gibson" on May 21st at 6:30pm ET.

A stepmother tells Mr। Harris that she believes her two stepsons, ages 6 and 8, are witches because they "have been stealing their step sister's blood to fly at night."

Harris visited several Evangelical churches in the capital city of Kinshasa to witness pastors denounce these helpless and traumatized children as witches in the name of God before large crowds। Some pastors are paid to perform abusive "deliverance ceremonies" or exorcisms that can involve starving, beating and sometimes killing the children. In one ceremony, a boy is held down as hot wax is poured on his stomach. The parents in this case and others seem to embrace the exorcism. As one man says about his accused daughter, "I believe she is a witch because the pastor told me," and explains that there can be no other reason for his money and health problems. According to Save the Children in 2005, approximately 2,000 churches performed "deliverance ceremonies" in Mbuji-Mayi and an even larger number operate in Kinshasa.

A Congolese social worker, Arnold Mushiete, who works with children accused of witchcraft tells Mr। Harris that even after the "exorcisms" have allegedly been performed, most of these children end up on the streets, with no hope of reuniting with their families. REEJER estimates that over 70% of Kinshasa's fifteen thousand plus street children were kicked out of their homes after being accused of witchcraft. Harris meets many homeless teenage girls forced into prostitution. Some leave their babies on the side of the road while they turn tricks.

Mr. Harris took the evidence he gathered to a government official in charge of a special commission to protect accused child witches. The official himself expressed his belief that children could in fact be witches, and went on to say that if a child has a "bulging tummy and big black eyes" he or she may be a witch.
This special edition of ABC News "Nightline"-- Child Witches: Accused in the Name of Jesus airs Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 11:35pm

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