KRISTY Bamu's appalling death was one of a handful of chilling cases where an apparent belief in witchcraft has been linked to extreme violence against children.

The 15-year-old was tortured and savagely beaten before he drowned in a bath at his sister's flat in east London on Christmas Day 2010.

Magalie Bamu and her boyfriend Eric Bikubi became convinced that he was possessed by kindoki, or witchcraft, and was trying to harm or control another child of the family.

Another case that sparked public revulsion was that of Victoria Climbie, who was beaten, burned with cigarettes and forced to sleep in a bin liner in a bath during her short life.

The eight-year-old's great aunt Marie Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning both claimed that the little girl was possessed. They were found guilty of her murder in 2001.

Later that year, the torso of a young boy, named Adam by police, was found floating in the Thames. It is believed that he could have been the victim of a ritual sacrifice practised in parts of Africa.

In another case Child B, who was brought to the UK in 2002 after her parents were killed in Angola, was beaten, cut with a knife and had chilli peppers rubbed in her eyes to beat the ''devil'' out of her.

READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT:Child abuse connected with witchcraft and demonic possession investigated in Bolton

READ MORE: SPECIAL REPORT: Call for action to stop abuse linked to witchcraft and possession

Polly Chowdhury and Kiki Muddar were convicted of the manslaughter of Chowdhury's daughter, Ayesha Ali, in 2015,whose body was found at their home in Chadwell Heath, east London, covered in more than 40 injuries, including a bite mark and carpet burns.

The court had heard how Muddar brainwashed Chowdhury into believing that Ayesha was possessed and needed to be physically chastised.

Days before the killing, the couple, who were both horror film fans, terrorised Ayesha in the night by taking it in turns to wear a scary mask.

A neighbour heard the little girl screaming, sobbing and then pleading with her mother: "Amah, I don't want to be bad, Amah, Amah, I don't want to be bad."

This month, mother of a three-year-old girl has become the first to be found guilty of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the UK, after a failed bid to “shut up” her accusers with witchcraft.

The Ugandan woman, 37, and her Ghanaian partner, 43, both from Walthamstow, east London, were accused of cutting their daughter over the 2017 summer bank holiday.

Police found bizarre spells inside 40 frozen limes and two ox tongues with screws embedded in them aimed at silencing police, social workers, officers and lawyers in the case.