In this conference highlights video, PolicingTV captures a series of reflections from speakers and attendees at a national event focused on witchcraft, spirit possession, ritualistic abuse and safeguarding. Across academia, policing, victim support, faith organisations and child protection, the message is consistent: these forms of abuse remain widely misunderstood, under-recognised and too often hidden in plain sight.
The video brings together international and UK perspectives, from Bangladesh to Australia and from policing to survivor advocacy. A major theme is the need for trauma-informed interpretation, better data, greater professional curiosity and stronger multi-agency understanding. Rather than treating these cases as too unusual or too difficult, speakers argue that agencies need to build the confidence, language and structures to identify them earlier and respond more effectively.
Key takeaways
- Speakers repeatedly stress that witchcraft-related abuse and ritualistic abuse are real, current and still too often misunderstood.
- A major theme is that better recognition depends on professional curiosity, trauma-informed practice and the courage to ask difficult questions.
- The conference brings together perspectives from policing, academia, safeguarding, victim support and faith settings.
- Several contributors highlight the international dimension of the issue, including examples and learning from Bangladesh and Australia.
- NAPAC and other speakers emphasise how shadowed, stigmatised and difficult this area remains for victims to disclose.
- Another key message is that lack of data and lack of understanding still hold back progress.
- The conference is presented as an important step towards collaboration, visibility and more effective safeguarding responses.
- The overall message is that these cases should not be dismissed as too strange or too complex, but approached with care, evidence and persistence.
Chapters
00:02 – Why this conference matters
01:20 – Victim support and why the shadows remain
02:34 – Trauma-informed interpretation and disclosure
03:25 – A collaborative and holistic response
03:55 – Faith, belief and difficult professional conversations
04:40 – Policing, data and national support
06:20 – Church safeguarding and accused witchcraft cases
08:12 – Trauma, complexity and why cases are hard to investigate
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