Humanitarian Issue- Child Witches Autism Is Not A Spiritual Attack

[Justmerach]

Hi everyone, I read some years ago about children in Nigeria who have autism being singled out in communities as being a witch or being possessed by the devil. There are other vulnerable children also who are singled out in this way as well, some may have been born physically disabled etc. This is happening in several diverse countries as well labelling children as child witches. This has happened and happening today in countries such as Angola, Uganda, The Gambia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, The Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Ethiopia and other Sub Saharan countries. This practice grew in South Africa during COVID. This also has been reported in other countries today as far wide as England which if it is experienced is treated as abuse and sometimes it can lead to safeguarding. According to a 2025 Guardian article in the year running to March 2024 alone, the Department for Education (DfE) recorded 2,180 assessments of abuse linked to faith or belief.

Have any of you had experiences of this?

I will say this that as a Christian and someone who is diagnosed with autism this case does move me this story. I am a Christian and God knows how to manage my autism and has done several times in my life. I was blessed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit at 17 that has equipped me to cope in life and I am under God's divine protection. Psalm 139 says that God created me for a purpose and that we are all wonderfully and fearfully made.

At 17 I served in the church ministry using my spiritual gifts. This shows that I am part of Jesus kingdom to as an autistic, we can all be members of the Body of Christ regardless of what conditions we have.

I am Christian and also a universal humanitarian.

Any person has the capability for the devil to tempt and use them we know from the New Testament. So, based on this I would argue that it was possible for anyone to be tempted and used by the devil and we all need to use Jesus' teachings to overcome evil. Labelling children wrongly as child witches and wizards based on solely having a condition and often a severe type is grossly wrong. There are though people in our community who are more vulnerable who may experience stigma, lies and injustice because of having a disability. We have to take them into our protective arm as Christians.

Autism is not a spiritual attack and everything God makes is good. God is it at liberty to use an autistic person for his glory as he has done with me and help us to manage our conditions by being consecrated through the Holy Spirit. I cannot deny though God’s power and authority and God is God and has the power to heal anyone at anytime for his plan in their life if he alone desires this or to leave someone as they are, nobody can limit Christ. This is though not a thread to discuss Christ's miracles. The majority of us God will leave as we are and support us to praise him with our blessings.

Remember this-we will be judged according to our conditions by God who created us and any sin post original sin for human kind will be cleansed by Christ for all of us who obey the law. We are all God’s children and are created for a divine purpose (Acts 17:28). "And he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.”

I felt moved and drawn to this topic and I did donate to Patrick School of Languages in Nigeria which is a legitimate school for those who are neurodiverse or have a learning disability and also reached and supported to CRARN which is mentioned in my article. As Christians we are asked to give charitably (Luke 12:33).

What is the situation and how can we help?

There are still stories today of children being labelled as witches who are autistic and who experience other disabilities today. In 2022 in Liberia 22 children (8 boys and 14 girls) were accused of witchcraft.

I return now to Nigeria and examine how the issue of traditional religion fused with Christianity is impacting on a very small proportion of children’s lives in the Akwa Ibom case as I cannot cover every state. Some children are branded as witches or wizards and are effectively exiled from their communities. In this particular case my brief report is on Akwa Ibom, but there are other known states in Nigeria like Cross River where this has been a problem. It is a criminal act today in Nigeria to promote child witch hunting and this was banned in 2008, but things are slow on the ground and moving slowly to improve and we need more help and support to eliminate this illegal act.

During the colonial rule traditional practises were targeted such as traditional religion and sacrificial practices but this has re-emerged in recent times.

There are false ministers who also maybe looking for financial gain in some Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian church's also and some may use traditional practises also that call for animal sacrifice or another ritual ceremony such as the disposal of possessions or marking the child with animal blood. Some may tell family members that their loved one are witches or wizards and this can drive wedges between family members. People can pay sums of money to ministers in hope that they can remove their loved out of this supernatural realm by being used as a witch/demon agent. These children may experience numerous deliverances as well or exorcisms which are not needed which can leave them exhausted and confused an akin to a mere skeleton which may cloud their mind with fear that they have been a tool of the devil and built to be as well. This is scheming and mind games as well.

This can no doubt cause some family members to reject or abuse their loved ones and drive them away from their home. This situation can be experienced worse due to poverty and disability which can cause some people to end up blaming other people for all their so called bad luck. It is often extremely difficult to be disabled in a lower income country where support can be hard to find or not available. I have seen young people on skateboards and an amputee trying to find income on the streets, at 25 it was a disturbing sight to see for the first time.

A centre called CRARN and an organisation called Stepping Stones Nigeria have emerged to deal with this challenge. There are other special needs schools which have been set up to provide education and humane treatment for individuals meeting this group. The Patrick School of Languages in Nigeria is an example of one such school that has been established form the efforts of a parent whose child experienced discrimination being told they their child was a spiritual attack and they was discriminated.

The governor of Akwa Ibom state passed the Child’s Rights act so that people could be prosecuted that demonise and stigmatise a child in such a manner. This does just not happen to children but I am focusing on children in this blog post. The enactment of the Child’s Right act did not stop all cases from happening as people close ranks to make it harder for them to be made accountable to the law. There was also a case in the UK in 2006 when a child’s body was found in the River Thames. The police named this child ‘Adam’ police did believe that this murder was ritual related.

The children that are abandoned by their parents in such centres I do think that it would be beneficial if such parents were counselled in a group by a minister over a few days in faith that can point out to the flaws in their thinking. Their beliefs do need to be challenged. Returning to the community might be difficult and if there is a head of a village they should try in mediate in this situation as they are normally respected in their communities. Also if these children cannot return home from fear of attack from other members in the village I would suggest that relocating them might help to unite parent and child. Also, banning such films that may encourage this sort of abuse I do believe is also a good idea.

I have given my life to life to Christ who I work voluntary for by documenting my life experience with my faith online and also by working as a hospital chaplain volunteer and activity coordinator once a week in a hospital and also do voluntary gardening at church-this topic is important to me. I do not have children of my own. I will not have children of my own, let’s see what we can do to help. If you feel moved by this topic-why not help them.

I hit my button again and donated today for the second time to CRARN which link you will find below. God has said we should be involved in justice and humanitarian issues and dismantling them.

This story moved me, with being diagnosed myself and also have had some poor treatment growing up being taken all over and people pulling the fast one on my mum to part lots of money for prayer for my anorexia etc. I have heard of forced treatment spiritually for other conditions too at church. in the past. This has become hidden, and is another discussion.

In Nigeria children with autism have more neurological issues with it.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25240124/

This is a video on Youtube of a story of someone who went through this who is reported in the Guardian article.

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Where to support

Child's Right and Rehabilitation Network: CRARN

https://crarn.net/

https://pslcautism-ng.org/

The scale of the problem to UN reports

https://docs.un.org/en/A/HR/52/47

https://www.unicef.org/liberia/stories/unicef-and-partners-bring-hope-children-accused-witchcraft-liberia

https://media.un.org/unifeed/en/asset/u130/u130627d

Articles and websites on this subject

https://www.thecable.ng/autism-not-the-devils-work-say-caregivers/ ( This article was the first one I read on this subject which moved me.

https://www.ej-theology.org/index.php/theology/article/view/107

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/24/thousands-of-children-england-falsely-accused-witchcraft-kindoki-witch-boy

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/commentisfree/2022/jun/08/witch-hunts-ritual-child-abuse-albinism-africa

Children are targets of Nigerian witch hunt

Photos of starving ‘witch’ toddler in Nigeria lead to wave of donations - National | Globalnews.ca

Photos of starving ‘witch’ toddler in Nigeria lead to wave of donations - National | Globalnews.ca

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/5106636/forfar-historian-shaun-link-witch-trials-autism/

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/7/29/how-parents-and-teachers-empower-nigerias-special-needs-children

TL:DR, but going by your first paragraph I have no experience of this in the C of E.

We have a few young people with autism attending our church, with various presentations, and they are welcomed and loved.

That's not to say it doesn't happen elsewhere in the world, but it doesn't sound like Christianity to me.

Interesting post. My church let me say Psalm 139 during disability pride month and that was so special. This psalm speaks to about diversity.

My church do not try and cure autism but manage it and the person generally. I am a non demontional Christian and attend an Anglican church. I think it is may be more in the Black British community privately in very small numbers or in low numbers of some independent church's which are Charismatic/Pentecostal you will find this behaviour. Some of these church's can be great and all church's can depend on the person who attends, their attitudes. Some though do more of these things to people with conditions.

I was interested to read about Revd Noel experience after being diagnosed and she was diagnosed with autism. Although she wasn't called a witch she said she was told to get rid of her demons which I found was shocking. This can be another manoevre instead of talking about witches to talk them having a demon because of their autism...but things are changing in the UK in the church.

"Having been diagnosed while serving her title, in 2017, she began her incumbency at St James’s, Pokesdown, last year, and became a member of the Bishop’s Council. The decision to take another post in the Church was “one of the hardest choices, because it had cost so much to walk through what I walked through”, she reflects. In recent years, she has been told that she would not have been ordained had her diagnosis been known earlier, and would have been offered prayer for release from demons"
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/19-may/features/features/autism-adventures-beyond-the-neurotypical

Humanitarian Issue- Child Witches Autism Is Not A Spiritual Attack

Having a disability is not having ‘a spiritual attack’.

There is no such thing as child witches, but sadly, in some African societies, it is not unknown for a child to be labelled as a witch, and sometimes maimed or murdered. In some parts of Africa voodoo, witch doctors and the like have been conflated with [false] Christianity. The children most likely to be labelled as witches are those who present as not neuro-typical. This may happen elsewhere too but I only have experience of some African nations.

I agree it is a humanitarian issue and I personally know people who have rescued children, and are involved in bringing the Gospel to people caught up in the false Christian teachings influenced by voodoo and witch doctors. It is complicated, nuanced, challenging and dangerous.

@FuzzyPuffling We have a few young people with autism attending our church, with various presentations, and they are welcomed and loved.

Same here. We also have older people too (a couple who are leaders) who are definitely on the autistic spectrum but have never had an official diagnosis. It is not a problem - the autism does not define who they are in Christ.

I'm in a charismatic church and have never experienced this. We have quite a number of members with ASC who are full and active part of the church. I have heard of something similar going on in Nigeria but certainly not anywhere I've been here.

Thegreatestoftheseislove, . It is good to read that you know people who rescue people like this, that is my best news of the day. That Michael Jackson song Man in the Mirror shows people running in trying to help others and with the attributes of God to me. Mother Theresa is even in it as well. I watched it recently on Youtube.

I think in some of these groups where it does go on it is like private jobs that some ministers may do for a family. When I was on holiday once struggling with anorexia and may be the change of scene. My parents were just wanting the best went to a Christian church and they asked for my clothes to be destroyed and they wanted me to drink something I wouldn't. It didn't seem really biblical all of it to me..they wanted to sacrifice a bird as well. which I was not in support of at all..It was infused with this traditional worship of something else. I always teld my mum to be watchful with her money. One day she told me she went somewhere to pay someone and lost over 1k putting her bag down. You cannot force anyone and you have to be at times with some people.

Thank you for your thoughts everyone.

Woah.....Michael Jackson? I'm not sure he showed good examples of Christian behaviour.

But sacrificing a bird and drinking unknown stuff is batshit.

I know some people won't watch any of his things outright. That song though was one of a kind to me. It has got footage of it from like the 1980s and earlier times when we faced some hardships and people pulled through against the oppressor. It is a hard watch and doesn't feature him in at all.

Could not agree more. Just because somebody sings some 'pretty words' does not make them a Christian, nor sharing Christian principles.

@Justmerach My parents were just wanting the best went to a Christian church and they asked for my clothes to be destroyed and they wanted me to drink something I wouldn't. It didn't seem really biblical all of it to me..they wanted to sacrifice a bird as well.

This is what I referred to up thread - a mixture of African witch-doctory stuff and voodoo with a mix of 'christian' ... so many unsuspecting people are in bondage to this evil. Fooled by sheep in wolves clothing. NO Christian church would ever demand the hocus pocus of clothes to be destroyed and bird sacrifice for anything, including anorexia or autism.

Thegreatestoftheseislove that is very good to read as the last stop as I always know. I have had my eating disorder since 14 and parents are immigrants. To try and get anorexia removed with them on holiday I was forced to have five deliverances in two days because of managing much to eat and duration of condition etc. I haven't been back since 2014 and it didn't affect me negatively, and thankfully God never let this stuff harm me. My spirit is clean and is the Holy Spirit which the only source I would use and Biblical only.
The thing is with some people they can give them a fake messages like for a private job and then is where it starts. Confusing them may be them that this something special for them by God. You always have to use your Bible as the final source. I would love to see this abuse end. I wonder what organisation is it that recuses people, it is something I could get involved in.

I found these online and it is well known in the UK where you can report it to the police as project Violet.

I found official documentation online in the UK where this is raised the serious nature of it.
https://www.met.police.uk/advice/adv...h-based-abuse/

This article documents the recent number of cases-
https://www.local.gov.uk/publication...e-and-families

This is another article which explains about it more-
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a...aith-or-belief

Just to let you know if some of you may be confused, I was not saying that Michael Jackson is a role model for anyone and I know nothing about his faith or if he had one. What I was talking about was the video still in songs from recorded the Man in the mirror. It has still there from wars and some Christians running through to help.

Every time you watch or listen to a song by MJ, his estate gets a royalty payment. It's a personal view, but I don't want to support him. ( Although back in the day, I quite liked his music).

Rach, are you OK? I'm not sure that digging into all this fake Christian stuff is a good thing. Lean on the Lord and feel the love of Jesus.

Thank you FuzzyPuffling. I didn't know any of that stuff about royalty payments for listening to MJ music.

I am fine, this is just a topic I feel drawn towards to try and support. Having some conditions and some people suffer because of this with the same conditions I feel may be more motivated to help here. I also have previous personal experience and I came back very overwhelmed in 2014 from a trip that my eating disorders service was thinking about safeguarding, but it never happened, they knew my family meant well and it wouldn't happen again. My parents are immigrants and this may be not uncommon amongst some of them. I have got a bit of an insider view and can see it both ways a bit sometimes. I have met some beautiful people from these places and some who seemed well a bit odd.

I have been going to the same church today which is an Anglican since 2014 off and on with hospital and then an Evangelical Church which was great, but it was a bit long for me with my conditions. I attend my anglican church today as a non demontional Christian and I have been confirmed/received into the Anglican church and was baptised in a Catholic church at 8 overseen by Catherine of Siena.

Most church's I think support the five church's missions and one of those is dismantling injustice. I have attached those. I was also inspired by Saint Thea Bowman who was social justice activist. I plan to have a break after this after I have done my church video.

What you are describing is spiritual abuse. In the C of E it would be an immediate referral to safeguarding through the parish safeguarding officer or to diocese safeguarding. All the other mainstream churches will have their own process to name and the address this. It is not acceptable.

Over the years I’ve been in ministry I’ve heard of deliverance used to pray out autism, various mental health issues, homosexuality or just plain old disagreeing with the minister.

Refer to safeguarding every time.

@Justmerach that is very good to read as the last stop as I always know. I have had my eating disorder since 14 and parents are immigrants. To try and get anorexia removed with them on holiday I was forced to have five deliverances in two days because of managing much to eat and duration of condition etc. I haven't been back since 2014 and it didn't affect me negatively, and thankfully God never let this stuff harm me. My spirit is clean and is the Holy Spirit which the only source I would use and Biblical only.

That is good to hear. Good to know there was a hedge of protection around you.

I get a sense that maybe due to your autism and maybe due to historical cultural input, you are hypersensitive to, how @FuzzyPuffling put it, batshittery. I too would urge you to stay well away from such things. Stay strong in the Lord and counter any ‘well meaning’ relatives, with the Gospel. Just because things may contain just an element of truth, it does not mean it is true - all the best lies, including the false preaching and teaching of pseudo Christianity contain enough truth to make them believable to the innocent and unknowing.

I wonder what organisation is it that recuses people, it is something I could get involved in.

Although they may exist, I am not aware of any organisation. Our church is missional. We have missionaries all over the world, which means we have personal contacts, and we regularly send groups of people on missions - to share the Gospel by helping communities. It has been during such visits to African nations that, coincidentally, abused children have been rescued from the pseudo-Christian witch doctor/ voodoo stuff.

Thank you mostlydrinksteas
That does seem to be the normal course of treatment in the UK. Sometimes they won’t do as well it if they think it will not happen again.

Africa is very different to the UK. It is a divided country on faith and Christians can be persecuted. I think some of those who have had traditional custom even though believe themselves to be a Christian now some can struggle to let go of it completely. The issue comes moreso when they force these things on another or give them bad treatment. There are many Africans overseas who are worshipping in the true spirit now and dependent on God for their lives moreso because of poverty as well. What some might show in their services may be different behind closed doors in a private arrangement.

I think I would like to see like a debate for those who have been through this, it reminds me a bit of Black child white nanny on C5. Victims of this spiritual and religious abuse talking about that though and may be some may come to the realisation that was not the true spirit of Christianity and have the freedom to consider another door being open to for them.

We have choice still and there may be an ok deliverance service than someone wants to try and not be forced into it. I would not tell someone to go, but force is not a good thing. Some of those services may involve just days of prayer.

For me these were forced on me and my parents are not like that to my other siblings. Getting into adulthood and being the weight of half of an adult at times or less than etc and you know how mum will be always be a mum etc. I could have been a child to them still when it was like that and them running all over and being at times cheated. Things have been settled today thanks to say.

Thank you for your advice in the other thread. I want this to stop and am glad that organistions like CRARN exist in Nigeria that can be donated from abroad. Not all organisations from aboard are easy to donate from the UK as I have found out.

Thegreatestoftheseislove thank you. Well being a Christian and generally trying to be a decent fair person I like to take people like I see them. I like to stand for against injustice as well and like in one hospital a staff was getting mistreatment and I spoke out in their defence and then on leave one patient entered my room the disgrungtled patient and stole one of my bags. It was caught on cctv and I didn't press chargers. One of the staffs did write that I am a bit vulnerable to some people. I only know a very small number of people, my church is very small to. I sometimes get requests to do things I would never want for being kind they may have different values or take my good nature wrong. I stand my ground and they can leave you feeling you have wronged them. Some people I may not get immediately...but it is ok.mostly. If at work anything puzzles me immediately I would go and seek the advice of the hospital chaplain. I am trained a bit what to say to them and that hopefully will be ok.

Your church is doing great missionary work and so may it continue. It sounds thriving.