The BBC has found a woman in Angola who says she is the mother of the girl in the so called "witch trial". Last week three people in London were jailed for torturing a child because they thought she was a witch. The court was told she was an orphan. This report from James Westhead.

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The BBC was also told of children being murdered because of the belief in witchcraft and came across first-hand evidence of traditional African healers and Christian pastors submitting children to horrific abuse.

The most disturbing case was that of a desperately ill eight year-old boy subjected to a series of abusive rituals by a traditional healer. Despite repeated pleas for urgent action the Angolan authorities took four days to intervene. They say the boy died later in hospital.

James Westhead, BBC.

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to investigate the prevalence of
to find out how often something happens, or how common it is

verification
making sure that something is true or correct

resume
to start something again after a pause

possessed
controlled by an evil spirit

witchcraft
the activity of using special powers, or magic, to help or harm people

first-hand evidence
experiencing something yourself which gives you reason to believe something is true

submitting
forcing someone to undergo something

abusive rituals
"abusive" means harmful and "rituals" are set of actions carried out regularly, often as part of a ceremony

to intervene
to take action to stop something from happening

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