FAST FACTS: ‘CHILD SACRIFICE’

SITUATION SUMMARY
According to the 2008 Uganda Police Crime Report, ritual murders rose by over 800% from the previ-
ous year, with children emerging as the most targeted victims. Earlier this year, an inter-ministerial
Anti-Child Sacrifice/Human Trafficking Task Force, under the Uganda Police, was set up to combat
ritual murders. Since the beginning of this year, over 100 cases of suspected ritual murders have been
recorded with the Police in different parts of the country. The victims were mainly children, and the
alleged perpetuators are mainly business people acting on the advice of traditional healers. The trends
are as follows:

In 1999: 15 children were reportedly killed through ritual murder.

In 2006: 230 children disappeared.
In 2007: 103 children disappeared.
In 2008: 318 children disappeared and 18 of these were confirmed by the
police to have been killed through ritual murder.
In 2009: No figures available but the number is approximately 15 children.
(The 2009 figures are from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social
Development and for accuracy could be cross-checked with the
police crime statistics).

Despite evidence that all children, including those under the care of their own parents, are susceptible
to child sacrifice, children without parental/adult care and oversight – e.g. orphans, abandoned chil-
dren, street children, out-of-school children and children involved in child labour –are considered to be
particularly vulnerable to child sacrifice.

UNICEF RESPONSE
UNICEF takes every report of violence against children seriously. One act of violence alone justifies a
response -- a response involving the participation of all sectors including government, UN system,
NGOs, civil society and communities themselves. Violence against children is both a gross violation
of human rights of children and a significant public health issue. UNICEF's Global Child Protection
Strategy has identified harmful traditional practices (child sacrifices is one of these practices) as one of
the main causes of violence against children and is working to strengthen social communications to
ensure social changes of the norms that drive such practices.

Child sacrifice is also closely associated with child trafficking which is also high on UNICEF Global
Child Protection agenda. It is suspected that many children reported missing are likely victims of child
trafficking and/or child sacrifice.

UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, the National Council
for Children and Civil Society Organizations to respond to the problem. UNICEF has also supported
civil society organizations led by ANPPCAN (African Network for the Prevention and Protection
Against Child Abuse and Neglect) Uganda Chapter, Plan International and the Uganda Child Rights
NGO Network (UCRNN) to develop a multimedia campaign to address key child protection issues
through public information. The campaign targets the traditional healers association, religious leaders,
policy makers, schools, the Police and other partners as key agents for change.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Cornelius Williams Chulho Hyun
Chief, Child Protection Chief of Communication
cowilliams@unicef.org chyun@unicef.org