this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2025
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Summary

Over 14,000 children in England have been accused of witchcraft since 2015, with 2,180 cases in the past year alone, according to the National FGM Centre.

The film Kindoki Witch Boy, released on the 25th anniversary of Victoria Climbié’s death, tells Mardoche Yembi’s true story of surviving a childhood exorcism.

Climbié was tortured to death in 2000 after similar accusations. Yembi hopes the film raises awareness and helps victims.

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[–] mundane@feddit.nu 40 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Since they specified "falsely" does that mean that there is legitimate witchcraft going on?

[–] blakenong@lemmings.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

Nope, just mentally ill religious people

[–] orclev@lemmy.world 34 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Is England living in a different century from the rest of us? Some kind of time warp to the 1800s going on over there or something?

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 38 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Having read the article, it sounds like this is an issue within some of their immigrant cultures. The boy the movie is about was from the DRC.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, I know a number of people who were practicing Wiccans in the 1990s, but I don’t think they’ve ever been accused of witchcraft.

[–] grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

My wiccan high school classmate in the early 2000s sure was. Our PE/Health Education teacher was very vocal about his feelings towards witches.

[–] YerLam@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Got his remit mixed up, he's on exercise not exorcism!

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, I had some goth friends in school too.

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yes there are huge populations around the world where superstition is quite extreme, and they believe witchcraft is a real thing. Haiti with their voodoo is probably the most famous, but they have similar superstitions all over Africa too.

At least it's less malignant here, that most superstitious people believe in crystal healing and homeopathy.

[–] shifty@leminal.space 2 points 1 week ago

And horoscopes

[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Yes. England (and the rest of the UK) was build on exporting ideas and people. Ideas like education, law, science.

Now England is in a new century which is importing ideas from the rest of the world. It doesn't seem to be going as well.

The Witchcraft Act 1735 finally concluded prosecutions for alleged witchcraft in England. The 1800's in England was more enlightenment than current England. God help us all.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Yes, but not because of the witchcraft stuff. They use royal titles. People unironically say “Sir Mick Jagger.”

[–] essell@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Every country has its own aristocracy. They just don't necessarily call it that.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I realize that. I was just joking. Lighthearted jokes about England usually land but I guess that one didn’t. C’est la vie.

[–] essell@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

OH great, that's just what we need another country You are bringing into this.

Have some upvotes to affirm my own lighthearted engagement.

[–] Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 week ago
[–] modeler@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Or President X, or General Y, or Mr Secretary, even for people who no longer hold those positions.

And for the record, Sir is an ancient military title just like Captain.

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago

What war was Mick Jagger in?

[–] realitista@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We never really left the 1800's, did we?

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

1800s is optimistic.

[–] 2ugly2live@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, I think I've heard this one before!