This report identified a gap in our knowledge

This report identified a gap in our knowledge.”Hackney council took action when it emerged that the eight-year-old, who cannot be named to protect her identity, had first been found – cold, crying and hungry – in the stairwell of a council block by local wardens in November 2003.She blamed Kisanga for beating her, and was returned to her aunt. The “witchcraft” case has raised so far unproven claims that hundreds of West African children may have been ritualistically abused, and even murdered, in London, with others sent back to countries such as Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo for exorcism.Metropolitan police child abuse intelligence unit officers believe there have been at least 31 similar cases in London since 2000, although only five have led to charges. I want to sacrifice him for the New Year.” Kisanga added: “That means that she really is kendoki.”The case exposed a harrowing catalogue of abuse, where the girl, an orphan brought by her aunt to Britain in 2002 as her “daughter”, was beaten with belts and a stiletto shoe, cut with knives, and had chilli pepper rubbed into her eyes. It culminated in a plot – abandoned at the last moment – to drown the girl in a canal after she was zipped up in a laundry bag.Crucially, Kisanga claims their pastor, an influential priest who ran the Church of Spiritual Warfare, had confirmed the orphan was kendoki – although he never sanctioned the abuse.The trio’s conviction has raised uncomfortable questions for the police and child protection experts, ranging from evidence that local officials failed to protect her, through to fears that such abuse could be far more widespread than realised. The aunt then roused the girl who, Kisanga claims, said: “Yes, I hit him with the stick.

She admitted that the abuse began after her son woke one night to complain the girl had “hit me with a big stick in the head” in his dreams. All three now face long terms in prison.In a BBC radio interview yesterday, Kisanga denied the girl’s allegations that she helped in the abuse, but said she was convinced the child was a kendoki – a witch. Police have already identified 3,000 fans as potential troublemakers and have banned them from attending.Uniformed British police will be on patrol for the first time in Germany to monitor fans. And there are plans to use micro-chip technology to tag every match ticket. If trouble breaks out police and stewards carrying hand-held scanners will be able to identify exactly where it is coming from.The plan to send CPS prosecutors to Germany will be unveiled this week at a conference on football violence.. An Angolan woman convicted of ritualistically beating and abusing an eight-year-old girl has spoken out about her extraordinary belief that the child was practising African witchcraft. They will face prosecution if there is evidence they are planning to attend a match, even if intercepted on a train several hundred miles away.As many as 70,000 English fans are expected to attend the 2006 World Cup which starts in June.

Soccer thugs will face fast-track justice at the hands of British prosecutors at next year’s football World Cup in Germany. that exists amongst the public,” Mr Mandelson told today’s ITV1’s Jonathan Dimbleby programme.”I hope that as part of his legacy when eventually he does step down as Prime Minister towards the end of this parliament, he will be able to look back on the next two to three years and say ‘I helped Europe change and mend it’s direction, re-build public confidence and trust in the European project in a way that seems relevant to us and our daily lives’.”Mr Mandelson urged the Government not to rush to declare the constitution dead, but instead hold their fire until the crunch EU summit in Brussels on 16 June. Nevertheless, he acknowledged it was unrealistic to expect countries like Britain, which are due to hold referendums on the treaty, to go ahead with them until they knew whether there would be fresh votes in France and the Netherlands.. Tony Blair could carry on for another three years now that he has been given a “fresh calling” to resolve Europe’s crisis, his old ally Peter Mandelson claimed last night. But Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, will announce tomorrow that Britain’s referendum plans are to be put on indefinite hold.”What he’s got to do is help other member states and heads of government come to terms with what’s happened, understand, realise how Europe’s got to move to a different place if it’s going to overcome that malaise … Nevertheless, the spokeswoman admitted it would have caused problems.

Sir Bob refused to comment on the Queen’s change of plans, but he appealed to the public not to let him down in his fight to help poverty-stricken Africa. Speaking at the Hay Festival, where he received a standing ovation, he said: “Numbers make things political.” He said men like Martin Luther King had changed history with one million people and said he was not talking in metaphor.Earlier, the singer defended his decision to exclude African musicians from the the Live8 concerts. Andy Kershaw, frontman for the BBC’s coverage of the Live Aid concert 20 years ago and a Radio 3 presenter, called the “striking absence” of African acts “a disgrace”. Sir Bob told The Independent on Sunday he had to concentrate on names known in G8 countries to pile on political pressure..

The Queen has cancelled her annual July holiday in Scotland because of the protest marches planned for the G8 summit. She decided to scrap her stay at Holyroodhouse after Sir Bob Geldof called for a million people to descend on Edinburgh.
Anarchists who caused chaos at previous G8 gatherings are already planning to come to Scotland and disrupt the summit, but a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman stressed that police were confident they could ensure the Queen’s safety. Ironically, many anti-capitalists may be able to get there thanks only to the generosity of Sir Richard Branson. The Virgin tycoon has agreed to provide free trains and a special Virgin flight to Edinburgh in the week leading up to the march..