POLICE are failing to recognise the plight of hundreds of children who are severely abused by relatives duped by conmen into thinking that the youngsters are possessed by spirits.

Campaigners believe up to 400 children a year suffer this type of violent and emotional abuse in Britain although only about 60 cases were discovered in London by the Metropolitan Police last year.

Unscrupulous faith leaders accuse children of “evil” so that they can charge parents for bogus exorcisms, according to Oladapo Awosokanre, co-ordinator of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse.

Mr Awosokanre said: “The faith leaders have ‘the powers to be able to see’ and the abilities to deliver these spirits out of children — for a fee.

“They mislead the parents, and children end up being stigmatised and being branded as witches or as possessed by evil spirits.”

The children are scapegoated if bad things happen to the family or if they have a disability, illness, are academically gifted or are left-handed, he added.

The campaign group wants it made illegal to brand a child as being a witch or possessed by evil spirits so that the conmen can be prosecuted.