Did you hear about Islington social services paying over £8,000 for a consultant to travel to Africa to investigate whether they should send a boy in their care to the Congo for an exorcism?!

I could have told them NO! and for free.

The consultant – who actually accepted the job – was told that the child would be starved from fluid and food for three days, met children who were scared and traumatised, and said that children were often shaken, beaten and sprayed with chilli peppers and even cut with razor blades (and that’s only what they told him). He adds:

Whilst I found the family and the church to be very friendly, I cannot recommend that the child be allowed to go through a deliverance service such as that envisaged.

Very friendly indeed.

Seriously, though, if anyone is paying attention, those involved in this decision should be kept as far away from children as possible.

But then knowing how things work, they will most probably be given medals for cultural sensitivity…

(News link via Anne Marie Waters)