Two thirds not confident in spotting faith-based abuse

The study, by Manchester Metropolitan University and child protection charities the Victoria Climbié Foundation and Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, found just a third of professionals and members of community and religious organisations are confident they can identify abuse linked to faith.

Of the 1,300 surveyed only half (52 per cent) said they were confident of how they would respond if such abuse was identified.

The study, which was commissioned by the National Working Group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief, says targeted training is needed to help such groups better prevent abuse and protect victims.

Just 25 per cent said they had received such training, the survey found.

It also suggests that greater collaboration between local safeguarding children boards and religious groups is needed, as 77 per cent of those surveyed did not know if their LSCB had policy and procedures in place related to this form of abuse.

In addition, only 12 per cent said they were familiar with the government's 2012 published national action plan on tackling faith based child abuse.

Dr Lisa Oakley, research lead and senior lecturer in abuse studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: "There are relatively small numbers of recorded cases and this could be due to underreporting and a lack of recognition of such cases."

Her colleague Dr Kathryn Kinmond, who holds the same role at the university and also led on this research, added that "this study shows that raising awareness of faith- or belief-linked child abuse is crucial".

According to Metropolitan Police figures in 2015 there were 60 reported cases of faith-based abuse in London.

But the campaign group Africans Unite Against Child Abuse believes there are hundreds more unreported cases across the UK each year.

This involves cases where children are beaten, starved and reviled by their families after being branded as witches or possessed by evil spirits.