The London Safeguarding Children Board's culture and faith project has been examining issues such as spirit possession, witchcraft, female genital mutilation and trafficking since last June. It will issue the guidance when the project concludes at the end of this year.
Since the death of Victoria Climbié in 2000, several high-profile child deaths have been linked to abuse resulting from cultural or faith-based beliefs. In 2004, three-month-old Samira Ullah was murdered by her father because he was convinced she was possessed by an evil spirit. Khyra Ishaq was starved to death in 2008 by parents who believed she was possessed.
The work in London, where ethnic minorities account for 40 per cent of the population, could prove a testing ground for other parts of the country to learn from its findings.
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