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    Relatives Accused in Witchcraft Killing

    Relatives who suspected a British teenager of practicing witchcraft beat and drowned him Christmas Day 2010 as he "begged to die" because of the pain they were inflicting, prosecutors alleged  in a London court.

    Kristy Bamu, a 15-year-old boy from Newham, east London, allegedly died at the hands of Eric Bikubi and his partner, Magalie Bamu, Kristy's sister. Both of them have denied the charges.

    Bikubi and Bamu allegedly forced Kristy's four siblings to join in the attack.

    The alleged attackers hit the teen with sticks, metal bars, a hammer and chisel, prosecutors said, and he "begged to die" because of the pain from the beating.

    "It was only when he [Bikubi] realized that he [Kristy] wasn't moving that he stopped what he was doing … by then it was too late," prosecutor Brian Altman said.

    Kristy suffered more than 100 injuries.

    Kristy and his siblings had arrived in London from Paris to see the East London couple for Christmas. But Kelly, Kristy's elder sister, said the trip turned sour when Eric Bikubi accused her and Kristy of practicing witchcraft and sorcery.  Eric Bikubi also accused them of influencing his 3-year-old son.

    "Despite her own siblings' denials that they were sorcerers, Magalie Bamu joined her boyfriend in repeating these fantastic claims and participating in the assaults," Altman alleged.

    "They beat them, refusing to let them eat, drink or sleep for days while the punishments being meted out became increasingly violent, with them using many implements found in the flat as weapons of torture," Altman said.

    "However, it was Kristy Bamu who became the focus of Bikubi's attention and, in a desperate attempt to prevent any further suffering, he and his two sisters were eventually to admit to being sorcerers. Wickedly, the defendants also recruited sibling against sibling as vehicles for their violence," Altman told the court.

    Also Read
     
    • Deanna  •  Richmond, Kentucky  •  3 mths ago
      Thats a misprint right? They totally meant to write Christmas Day 1610...right?
    • Kristy  •  Pensacola, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      Regardless of religious beliefs, he was still a human that was tortured to death by his own family. I wonder what religion finds it ok to kill your family members.
      • Cornovii 4 mths ago
        They were African Congo Blacks no religion involved
      • Danny 4 mths ago
        Funny. Cuz European English Whites were doing similar things 400 years ago. Not that long in the whole course of human evolution.
      • FelineUSA 4 mths ago
        ...yeah thats true...most religions just say its okay to kill people of other religions...thats what makes religion so great...
    • missy d  •  4 mths ago
      With 'relatives' like these, the poor guy didn't need enemies. Stupid, and even stupider followers who joined in.
      • Dr. Tyler I. 4 mths ago
        I cant understand why people say religion is a bad thing.....
      • chappie 4 mths ago
        stupider???
      • A Yahoo! User 4 mths ago
        Chappie, I'm pretty sure you get the picture.
    • Tired_of_the_Nonsense  •  4 mths ago
      If she floats, she's a witch. If she sinks to the bottom, she is human. Asinine logic of the Middle Ages and comparable to much stupidity of today.
      • CowTipper 4 mths ago
        Well stated.
      • Timothy 4 mths ago
        Unfortunately Newt didn't get better!
      • joe 4 mths ago
        I really thought that was from Monty Python's Holy Grail, and I think Timothy's double pun was kind funny - anyway, your statement is sadly true.
    • Get Real  •  4 mths ago
      I don't care what their "reasons" were. If they caused the death of this 15 year old, Hang them. Their exterminations would be reasonable and justified.
      • MichaelC 4 mths ago
        So, let us commit another act of violence to justify someones stupidity. Perhaps letting these people live in a hole in prison for the rest of there lives would be a more fitting hell before they meet their God and get some more.
      • bRYAN 4 mths ago
        That would never happen, its the UK. They will get full health care, three meals a day, and live quite comfortably in the British prison.
      • KING TROLL 4 mths ago
        is keeping them against their will any better then killing them? its still a wrongful act against a person....
    • ManInTheStreet  •  4 mths ago
      Are we in the 21st Century?
      • Margriet 4 mths ago
        Yeah, in the 21st century but cult practices that lead to peopes death happen in the US too or the west too.
      • Christian S 4 mths ago
        They were from Africa. Africa is hardly anything close to the 21st century.
      • Royal 4 mths ago
        white folks are but spooks and muslims aren't
    • Mark  •  Tampa, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      The US media is too PC to list where they were from so I looked it up in a UK article:

      "Those involved were originally from the Congo where ‘kindoki’ witchcraft pervades society"
    • Mad at Pats  •  Urbana, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      And I thought my family gatherings were hard to endure.
    • Stepup2themike  •  4 mths ago
      Ignorance. It aint just for breakfast anymore....
    • adarc  •  4 mths ago
      Okay for all of you have a reading level BELOW grade 5 - This story is clearly about African immigrants. None of this has anything to do with religious freedom, or Harry Potter or Twilight.
      This is about superstition used to turn an entire family against one young man who had very little recourse being a guest in his brother in laws house in a foreign country. He was brutally tortured and murdered, and witchcraft was the excuse they used to do it.
    • richard  •  Bridgeport, Connecticut  •  4 mths ago
      Go to the BBC website for the full story.... the clean PC story here doesn't tell that 2 of his other siblings were also beaten for DAYS like he was.

      Quoted from the BBC article:

      "The defendants are originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo where witchcraft or sorcery - called kindoki - is practised in some churches, said Mr Altman."
    • alan  •  New Braunfels, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Witchcraft and sorcery, and they killed a boy for it, Bolllocks! What kind of superstitious throw backs are these?
    • ...  •  4 mths ago
      One thing that the US does right expect immigrants to fit in. I spend a lot of time working in the UK. These insane and cruel exorcisms happen FAR too often there. Honor killings are not uncommon (when Muslim women are killed for dating men their families disapprove of). There's female circumcision that happens...

      The UK authorities are far too soft on immigrants who won't fit in. There is a lot of sensitivity about "multiculturalism." What that basically amounts to in the UK is huge, segregated communities of immigrants who are allowed to go on living like they are still in the third world.

      In many cases where there is CLEAR evidence that abuse is happening to kids and women, religious leaders pressure the police and complain about discrimination. The police either won't investigate or they investigate and then back off for fear of being guilty of "discrimination." What is allowed to go on in those communities is disgusting.
    • kayleigh  •  Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania  •  4 mths ago
      This is so wrong!! People can be so stupid and thickheaded! Who cares if he practiced this or not? It was his belief and like others he was persceuted for his faith. You would expect that people in this time and era would know better and respect this..but blinded by fear..his own family killed him..his own family!!..they should of supported him!! It is just so sickening and heart wrenching that things like this still happen..and because of these people he will never be able to live his life..finish school..go to college..find a job he loves..get married or have a family. This boys life ended to soon and let this serve as a reminder..stop and think..before you accuse people..because this could happen all over again..and once a life is gone..its gone..
    • Jeff  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  4 mths ago
      This World needs an enima.
    • Truth Teller  •  4 mths ago
      sorry he was killed. rip son. can't fix stupid and crazy..
    • realist  •  4 mths ago
      People just keep getting dumber and dumber...
    • j w  •  Bangkok, Thailand  •  4 mths ago
      No mention of what religion they practice or their cultural background?
      Lazy journalism is so insulting. Shows a total lack of respect for their reader's time
    • David  •  Fresno, California  •  4 mths ago
      Politically correct article fails to state the ethnic and religious connections of the killers. Every report of a death resulting from religious belief should boldly name the religion.
    • David  •  Lafayette, Louisiana  •  4 mths ago
      I thought the inquisition was over? Guess not.
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