WSPRA is the acronym for Witchcraft, Spirit Possession and Ritualistic Abuse. It is the practice of abusing children because they are believed to be witches, possessed or otherwise linked to the supernatural. This belief is used to justify physical, emotional and sexual abuse towards the child, as well as neglect.
WSPRA can affect any community that believes in spirit possession, evil eye, witchcraft or the supernatural, but most people with these beliefs do not go on to abuse children. Certain children can be at higher risk, such as those with physical differences, those living away from their parents, and children who are perceived as challenging.
WSPRA is significantly under-identified and under-recorded. The true scale of abuse is likely to be much greater than current figures indicate, highlighting the need for improved recording, recognition and evidence gathering.
There are significant challenges in identifying and responding to WSPRA in both policy and practice. Current national guidance has not been updated since 2012, and broader safeguarding frameworks offer little to no guidance for professionals. Professionals face multiple barriers in practice, including lack of knowledge and understanding of WSPRA, inconsistent data collection, limited operational guidance and reluctance from survivors to disclose their abuse.
Changes are needed in multiple areas to inform effective safeguarding responses, early identification and prevention of WSPRA. This includes legislative and policy updates, training and workforce development, improvements to multi-agency working, survivor support and data collection, as well as international collaboration.
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