CHILD WITCH (Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2006)

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, young children are regularly accused of witchcraft. Parents and families blame quarrels and misfortunes primarily on young girls who may have a physical defect, or exhibit behavior they think is strange, although it may simply be behavior natural to young children. Many Congolese believe that these children travel at night to an invisible world, thus calling down catastrophe on the community. The rise of Pentecostal churches which will perform exorcisms for a fee only reinforces this belief. Those thought to be possessed are beaten, made to eat leaves and herbs, drink petrol, or undergo ritual exorcism. According to the UN, more children under the age of five die in the Congo than in China, where the population is 23 times as large.