MARDOCHE Yembi was like any other eight-year-old boy: he loved football and played in goal for a youth team in Tottenham, North London, and enjoyed spending time with his friends at school.

But he was hiding a secret.

11 Mardoche, as a child, spent two years being accused of witchcraft by his relatives

He'd been sent to live with his aunt and uncle from the Democratic Republic of Congo after his mother passed away - but at this new home in Islington his relatives were accusing him of being a witch and seriously abusing him.

Mardoche, now 26, was subjected to two years of exorcisms where pastors tried to coax the demons out of him through repetitive prayer, he tells Sun Online.

He was starved to the point where he would search for dropped coins on the street to secretly buy food, sleep-deprived and threatened by his aunt and uncle.

They even pulled a knife on him and said they'd kill him if he didn't stop being a witch.

His relatives burned his precious possessions, including football medals and certificates, saying that he was using these to be able to gain enough power to fly.

But Mardoche is not alone in suffering this type of abuse in the UK.

Thousands of children are being put through these horrifying exorcisms - and they are taking place behind closed doors in flats, houses and churches on Britain's streets.

What's more, they're on the rise. Earlier this year, the Department of Education released figures showing there were over 1,400 child abuse cases across the UK that were linked to witchcraft and demonic possession beliefs between 2016 and 2017 - a 900% rise since 2011.

And experts fear many more are flying under the radar as police and social services are too scared to intervene.

11 A young child undergoing an exorcism ritual, where powder is rubbed into cuts Credit: Getty - Contributor

Beliefs in witchcraft are still strongly-held within some communities in Central and Western African countries including Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Mardoche's homeland, the DRC - and they have extended overseas to the UK.

Football stars Isaac Success and Emmanuel Adebayor have blamed injuries and goal droughts on curses.

And the tragic case of Victoria Climbié - the eight-year-old Ivorian girl who was murdered by relatives in Tottenham who believed she was possessed by demons - still haunts the country 18 years on.

11 Victoria Climbie was born in the Ivory Coast but came to live in London. She was tortured and murdered because her guardians thought she was 'possessed' Credit: Enterprise News and Pictures

Chilli burned into eyes, left without water for days and cut with knives

The most recent figures are just "the tip of the iceberg" according to experts such as Dr. Richard Hoskins, who has been researching African ritual crime for 15 years.

As part of his research, Dr Hoskins has travelled to several African countries and witnessed disturbing exorcisms over there and in the UK.

"In the least invasive ones, children are typically made to abstain from eating and drinking water too," he says.

11 Children's eyes are obstructed so that they don't communicate with Lucifer Credit: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

"The witchcraft - or kindoki as it is known there - will be shouted out to come out of the child in the name of Jesus, and the pastor might shake them too."

These types of exorcisms is similar to what Mardoche experienced in churches and at home.

"I was pulled out of school and made to fast and kept up for days without sleep," he tells Sun Online.

"I was accused of flying in the night, killing my mother, putting curses on my family and even eating babies for dinner.

"I was so frightened I'd be too scared to leave my bedroom to go to the toilet. I'd wee in a bowl and pour it on the carpet but this made things worse as children who wet themselves are often accused of being possessed."

Mardoche says he became "withdrawn" and felt he had no-one as his father was in the DRC.

"My relatives were clever. Although I was threatened, I wasn't beaten up. They were careful not to get caught.

11 A 'session of deliverance' in a church in the Congo Credit: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

"They took me to several pastors and advised me that the situation with my possession was so serious I would need to be sent back to the DRC."

Thankfully, his school contacted social services. He ended up spending three months in a psychiatric unit as he became suicidal, before being placed in foster care.

He is one of the lucky ones - if he'd returned to the DRC it is likely he would have died due to the brutal exorcisms performed there.

There, children are sliced by razor blades and knives in order to "cut out" the witchcraft, and have chilli pepper rubbed in their eyes.

Dr Hoskins says: "I also saw a little girl who was emaciated due to being starved for days - she'd also not been given any water despite the boiling heat. She was almost at death's door."

Drowned in the bath

Sometimes, children are pushed to "the brink of death" during exorcisms.

Occasionally the perpetrators cross the line and end up killing the children in the process.

This is what happened to 15-year-old Kristy Bamu, who was found dead in a bathtub in a council flat in East London on Christmas Day 2010.

11 Kirsty Bamu was found dead in a bathtub after an exorcism went too far Credit: PA:Press Association

He had been staying with his sister Magalie Bamu and her boyfriend Eric Bakubi, when he was accused of bringing kindoki into their home.

Kristy sustained 130 separate injuries after being attacked with an armoury of weapons - including metal bars and ceramic floor tiles smashed over his head - over a three-day period of exorcisms.

He died due to drowning after being submerged in the bath towards the end of the ceremony.

11 Magalie Bamu and boyfriend Eric Bikubi were jailed six years ago for the murder of Kristy Bamu Credit: Handout

While in 2001, the torso of a young African boy, known only as 'Adam' was found floating in the River Thames. He is believed to have been the victim of a brutal exorcism ritual.

No action because of political correctness

And Dr Hoskins says there could be many more cases of children that have been murdered that have gone unreported.

"Nobody is really sure how many cases there really are - of this kind of abuse and also children dying from it - because nobody wants to tackle it," he says.

"If you talk to anyone from these communities, they will say that pastors are pushing witchcraft beliefs on families.

11 This 10-year-old was attacked by her aunt who thought she was a witch Credit: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

"But because it is a belief system there's a perpetual fear [from the authorities] of stepping on people's toes and causing offence."

Half of UK police forces don't even record incidents and many local authorities are also unable to provide figures.

"We haven't got past this political correctness when dealing with these case," adds Dr Hoskins.

"Because it is related to a belief system you hear from the Met police officers or even social services that they aren't here to tackle beliefs, so nothing is done to stop it.

"But there needs to be a change because these belief systems tip over into abuse."



Roots in fundamentalist Christianity

Dr Hoskins says the witchcraft belief has roots in fundamentalist Christianity - where the words of the Bible are taken literally - and with traditional West and Central African superstitions beliefs.

"There's a passage in the Bible that says sometimes a demon will be cast out and find seven more powerful ones, so even children that undergo exorcisms can be dragged through the whole system again a few months down the line," he says.

But why is it children that are targeted?

11 Kids accused of witchcraft will sometimes be driven out on the streets Credit: AP:Associated Press

"It is scapegoating, plain and simple," explains Dr Hoskins. "Years ago, it was older women - the 'old crones' who were branded witches.

"Many of these African countries have seen major problems in the last few years, such as civil war, economic deprivation and corruption - and when things go wrong in people's lives they will blame a weaker party.

"There's overpopulation too - I've had people in these countries say to me that they can't afford to keep their children so they will force the idea of witchcraft on them in order to drive them out on the streets."



'I wanted to die'

Many children don't recover from the trauma of their abuse. "I've had them tell me their lives have been destroyed," says Dr Hoskins.

Mardoche is one of the lucky ones: taken out of his abusive home, he built up his confidence through continuing to play football and now is a motivational speaker.

11 Dr Hoskins, with Mardoche, helped stop him being returned to the DRC Credit: Twitter

He also works with various organisations to help teach people to spot the signs of children being accused of kindoki, and a film about his life, called Branded, will be released this autumn.

However, he still lives with the effects of his experience.

"I find it difficult to get close to, and trust, other people," he admits. "And at the time, I wanted to die. "When you're constantly told you're evil, that you're to blame for your mother's death you start to believe it. It's not something that is easy to get over."

11 Children protest against witchcraft accusations Credit: AFP - Getty

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"My heart sinks every time I hear of another child being accused of being a witch," adds Dr Hoskins.

"The Government needs to take action to protect these young people and outlaw this belief system - we need criminal sentences for these pastors as what they are doing is abuse.

"We take a hard stance on terrorism in the name of religion, so there is no reason for us not to outlaw this. It leaves children mentally, emotionally and physically scarred for life."

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.