Daily roundup: Children's commissioner, voodoo and bullying

An independent review into the role and functions of the children’s commissioner for Wales has been launched. The Welsh government, which initiated the review, said it wants the role to be “as clear and as effective as possible for the benefit of children and young people”. Mike Shooter, former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, has been appointed to carry out the review of the position, currently occupied by Keith Towler.

London has become a major centre for voodoo rituals using children trafficked from Africa, according to a United Nations committee. The Times reports that a study by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) found that hundreds of boys and girls have been kidnapped and brought to the UK for religious rituals, with thousands more smuggled in for sexual exploitation and slavery.

Primary school children in England who have special educational needs (SEN) are twice as likely to be bullied. The BBC reports that research by the Institute of Education found that 12 per cent of seven-year-olds with SEN felt bullied “all the time”, compared with six per cent of non-disabled peers.

Action for Children services reduced the risk of physical, sexual or emotional abuse for 92 per cent of children who needed help at its children’s centres, the charity’s annual impact report has found. The report also found that providing early support, practical advice and parenting programmes through its children’s centres has tackled domestic abuse in 74 per cent of cases and improved the mental health of 64 per cent of parents.

A new organisation has launched in an attempt to tackle educational inequality. The Fair Education Alliance is made up of 25 members including the National Association of Head Teachers, Save the Children, Barnardo’s, the National Children’s Bureau and the Prince's Trust.

Numbers of women smoking during pregnancy across England is down to 12 per cent, the lowest recorded level. The BBC reports that statistics for 2013/14 show large regional differences, with just five per cent of London mothers smoking during pregnancy, but around 20 per cent in the North East. Overall, rates have fallen 16 per cent since they were first measured in 2006/07.