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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What kind of monsters would leave a child to starve?

67 replies

iwuddarryl · 16/02/2016 18:30

Apparently they thought the child was a witch so abandoned him to starve.
It's disturbing to think that in this day and age people would do such a thing.
He's not the only one. Confused
Thousands of children in Nigeria are being accused of being witches and are starved, beaten and tortured.

I'm pleased to see that people are at least donating forwards educating people out of this cruel, uncivilized way of treating children.
,

OP posts:
Smoothyloopy · 16/02/2016 19:47

I read this yesterday & cried. I wanted to reach into the picture & cuddle him.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 16/02/2016 19:48

Thanks RudeElf.

goddess what are you basing that on? Have you even looked at the website?

CinnamonBunYou · 16/02/2016 19:50

I sobbed when I saw this. I wouldn't have been able to put him down after picking him up! The poor little love!

How frightened and confused he must have been on his own all that time. Breaks my heart.

Whatdoidohelp · 16/02/2016 19:53

I cried my eyes out when I saw this. What mother lets his happen? What kind of people can walk past a naked tiny child like that in the street? It's heartbreaking. Thank God for that wonderful women who is building the orphanage and savings these poor children. The world is cruel.

Palomb · 16/02/2016 19:54

The west has been pumping money in to Africa for generations and what has changed? We got got not chance of improving things for anyone if they are not willing to help themselves. Witches ffs, 2 year old witches. This is 2016!

The photos in the paper were shocking and heartbreaking but let's not forget people from this country have carried out those atrocities in this country too. Adam the boy torso in the Thames was thought to have been killed because of this bullshit.

You can try teaching people's what's right but ultimately they choose what is right and what is acceptable to condone in their community. All the charity money in the world isn't going to change anything.

RudeElf · 16/02/2016 19:58

All the charity money in the world isn't going to change anything.

Well it will fill an empty belly, clothe a bare back and heal a sick body. It mightnt change the mindset of those that caused the suffering, but it can stop the suffering of some. Or should we just not try anything?

yankeecandle4 · 16/02/2016 20:00

I think it's a much bigger problem than most realise. Some of the countries involved are still hugely superstitious and very much believe in witchcraft. It's incredibly tragic. The poor little boy. I hope he is loved for the rest of his days.

^This. It is not a practice exclusive to Nigeria or even Africa. Shamanistic religions (or followers of them) can be highly superstitious and blame babies/young children for bad things happening, believing that the child must be a witch. Sometimes it is mere bad timing of a birth or sometimes birth defects such as cleft lip, albinism are "obvious" signs that the child is possessed. I have heard of this in Haiti and Polynesian Islands too.

There was a documentary years ago (Dispatches, IIRC) about a boy's torso found in the Thames and they think he was part of a sacrificial "antidote" to witchcraft. Absolutely horrendous. Sad

Palomb · 16/02/2016 20:10

I don't know what the answer is. The story in the paper yesterday made me cry from the sheer horror of it and of course we should help the victims but It terrifies me that we have such an open door policy when you are confronted with how very different other cultures are to our own. Some cultures are just vile.

Turquoiseskies · 16/02/2016 20:13

We should be growing money at education. It's just beyond heartbreaking that this is happening in 2016. If I didn't have children of my own I think I'd go out there and do something.

firefly78 · 16/02/2016 20:18

he's only 2! my god that has made me sob. i can't get the image of that little boy out of my mind.

BeyondTheSea · 16/02/2016 20:21

Absolutely heartbreaking. Thanks for posting the link to donate.

Lizzylou · 16/02/2016 20:22

It's horrific, just awful.
I do understand those posters wondering when it will change.
In 2003/4 (I quote these dates because I know that it happened as fact) in certain parts of Africa, men who were HIV positive were told by "Witch doctors" to have sex (rape) virgins. Superstition is a powerful thing, happens in a lot of countries, doesn't make it right.

firefly78 · 16/02/2016 20:24

its made me feel sick. that poor poor wee mite. We have so much in this country. too much.

paulapantsdown · 16/02/2016 20:24

So obviously this poor child did not tell the aid workers himself about being thought of as a witch, so who told them? Am I right in thinking the whole bloody town ignored this child as they all thought the same? They just stood buy and threw him scraps of food sometimes? Fucking disgusting bastards. Pure ignorant savagery.

Nigeria is not a poor country compared to many in Africa, this comes down to ignorance and stupidity.

Owllady · 16/02/2016 20:24

It happens in the UK too unfortunately

RudeElf · 16/02/2016 20:25

Lizzy i remember hearing stories of that "advice" being given to men. Do you know if it is still being practised?

NeedAScarfForMyGiraffe · 16/02/2016 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeyondTheSea · 16/02/2016 20:31

I feel so furious and sad that anyone could do this. It's incomprehensible :(

Why are people so awful?

Lizzylou · 16/02/2016 20:34

I don't know Rude, I hope not!
I don't think that you can condemn people who know no different, this is their belief system. Doesn't make it right, obviously! But a lot that we do doesn't make sense to others. We can't preach to others, we have thousands relying on food banks, highly organised paedophiles, adulation of utter imbeciles because they have been on Big Brother/play football, not sure we have much of a leg to stand on. It's all so totally fucked up.

SealSong · 16/02/2016 20:35

These awful issues are not just in Nigeria.
This charity - Omo Child - works to prevent the death and abuse of 'mingi' children in Ethiopia. 'Mingi' children are children who are believed to be cursed or possessed. They are murdered and abused terribly.
Please consider supporting this charity. They have a facebook page which shows the work they do including rescuing children and babies (search on FB for Omo child).

RudeElf · 16/02/2016 20:35

Paula i dont know about this boy's case but in the film documentary i watched it was no secret that a child had been branded a witch and cast out. The villagers warned the camera crew of a little girl who was a 'witch' and wasnt allowed in the village. The crew tried to bring her to her mother's house to see if she would take her back and the villagers surrounded them and threatened to kill the girl. It was almost a riot. She was screaming hysterically out of fear. She was around 4. The mother wouldnt take her and the crew had to take her to an orphanage type place for the children who were branded witches.

Lizzylou · 16/02/2016 20:35

Ugh, Needs, I was hoping that things had changed! My friend who went there hoping to do good and loved the people and country came home after 3 years very frustrated.

BabyGanoush · 16/02/2016 20:36

But think of that wonderful lady who found him, gave him water and took him to hospital and got so much money for him (and a hospital for kids like him) through fundraising.

So much respect for that.

dementedma · 16/02/2016 20:38

It's a truly heartbreaking case and was discussing it with a friend who is an army officer. When in Sierre Leone he was himself "cursed" by a witch doctor, and witnessed a live human sacrifice.
In Basra he saw a woman stoned to unconsciousness and then beheaded. These things are happening everywhere in the name of religion whether it's voodoo,sharia law or any other.

LadyShirazz · 16/02/2016 20:44

The believe in witches and witch children in Africa is deeply, deeply innate.

By the same token, "possession" etc also serves as a convenient "excuse" to offload one or two of too many mouths to feed in a context of paucity all round - a choice we in our pampered Western lives will likely never have to face.

It's shite, and the only way I see around it is to continue donating to Marie Stopes, so women aren't enslaved to their own bodies and don't have to keep repeating the cycle of bearing more children than they can afford...

I did a lot of work in Africa too in my younger years - no period has ever made me despair more for humanity than that.