Experts from across the globe will head to Dundee to discuss the impact and prevalence of ritual abuse
A conference later this month will look at the current international situation of ritual abuse (RA) and organised abuse of children.
International experts in the field of RA will come together in Dundee to discuss the impact and prevalence of RA and organised abuse on children and share best practice on support for young survivors. The conference will examine the current situation in the world and in the UK specifically to help workers and supporters to identify and help children who are affected by organised and ritualised abuse.
Dr Laurie Matthew OBE, coordinator of charity Eighteen And Under, will be presenting at the conference. She said: “This conference provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness and learn more about organised and ritual abuse from leading experts, academics and practitioners in the field.”
Other experts who will be presenting include Dr Michael Salter, a Scientia Fellow and associate professor of criminology at the University of New South Wales. His research focuses on organised forms of child sexual abuse. Dark Justice, an organisation who catch potential sex offenders who try to groom and meet up with children following sexual grooming will also be speaking. Neil Brick (RA survivor) and creator of the S.M.A.R.T (Stop Mind control And Ritual Abuse Today) newsletter and Dr Sarah Nelson, Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee, who has presented widely for decades on sexual abuse issues, will also be delivering talks.
This is the second conference to be organised jointly by Eighteen And Under and Izzy’s Promise. Keiran Watson, a manager with Izzy’s Promise is keen to increase awareness of RA. He said: “There’s a desperate need to increase awareness of RA to everyone in the survivor sector. Survivors who have experienced RA can have complex support needs as a result of the abuse and they can find this difficult to access.”
Eighteen and Under provides confidential support and information to any child or young person who has experienced any form of abuse or violence. In addition to offering support services, the charity is dedicated to the prevention of all forms of violence and abuse and offer academically backed Violence Is Preventable (VIP) resources.
Izzy’s Promise has over 10 years of experience delivering ritual abuse support training. It provides confidential, practical and emotional support to RA survivors as well as conducting research into causes and prevention of ritual and organised abuse. Additionally, the charity provides expert training and consultancy services to organisations that need to deliver complex RA support.
Organised Abuse can involve multiple adults who plan and sexually abuse one or more children and it includes trafficking, child abuse, sexual exploitation and paedophilia rings. Ritual abuse can be defined as organised sexual, physical and psychological abuse, which can be systematic and sustained over a long period of time using rituals with or without a belief system.
Anyone interested in attending the conference can obtain tickets or more information from the Izzy’s Promise website or from TicketSource.
