MAGALIE BAMU AND ERIC BIKUBI HORRIFY LONDON IN WITCHCRAFT-RELATED MURDER CASE
In a chilling and brutal case that has shocked the community of London, a woman and her partner have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after torturing and killing her 15-year-old brother, Kristy Bamu, over accusations of witchcraft.The incident unfolded over a horrifying four-day period, during which the teenager endured more than 130 injuries inflicted with various weapons, including broken ceramic tiles, pliers, a pole, and a piece of wood.
Magalie Bamu, aged 29 and formerly employed at Marks & Spencer, was sentenced to serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars.
Her accomplice, 28-year-old Eric Bikubi, a former football coach, received a sentence of at least 30 years.
The sentencing took place at the Old Bailey, where Judge David Paget QC described the murder as 'sadistic' and 'beyond belief,' emphasizing that Bamu must have been aware that her brother was nearing death during the attack.
Judge Paget stated, “I am aware of the controversy surrounding the word sadistic in this context, but I am convinced this murder involved a sadistic element.
The core motive was to rid Kristy of alleged witchcraft.
Both of you brutalized and physically abused him until he died.
It was prolonged torture.” He further condemned the belief in witchcraft as no justification for such violence, asserting, “A belief in witchcraft, however genuine, can never excuse assault or murder.” The judge pointed out Bikubi’s apparent intent to kill, suggesting that his actions at the end of the ordeal indicated a clear desire to end Kristy’s life.
He highlighted a chilling remark made by Magalie Bamu to her mother: “If you do not collect the children, Eric would kill Kristy,” implying her awareness of the potential for fatal violence.
Following the convictions, Kristy’s father, Pierre, expressed profound grief, describing his son as “a delightful child with a promising future” and lamenting the tragedy of his death at the hands of those entrusted with his care during a visit to London.
“We will miss him terribly,” he said, emphasizing the devastating impact of the crime.
Detective Superintendent Terry Sharpe of the Metropolitan Police issued a stark warning about the persistence of crimes rooted in witchcraft beliefs, which often remain ‘hidden and under-reported.’ He described the scene police encountered as unprecedented, revealing that officers found a variety of weapons at the flat, including pliers, a pole, and a piece of wood.
The evidence also included heavy floor tiles, which had been used to assault Kristy.
Sharpe explained, “It is difficult to see how the verdicts will bring much comfort to the Bamu family, but I hope it will help them begin to move forward.” The court heard that Bamu and Bikubi, like many Congolese nationals, held strong beliefs in kindoki, or witchcraft.
The couple accused Kristy of attempting to bewitch a child in the family after he arrived from Paris for Christmas 2010 with four siblings at their council flat in Newham, East London.
During the attack, Kristy was beaten with a metal weightlifting pole, a curtain rod, and a wooden plank.
His teeth were knocked out with a hammer, and heavy floor tiles were smashed over his head.
His younger siblings, aged between 11 and 22, were forced to fast and pray throughout the night, sometimes being goaded into participating and cleaning up pools of blood.
On Christmas Day, Kristy drowned in a bath after begging to die, as Bikubi hosed him down in an attempt to ‘cleanse’ him of evil spirits.
This tragic case has reignited calls for police and social services to do more to address crimes driven by medieval superstitions and beliefs in witchcraft.
Over the past decade, there have been at least 83 reported cases of children being attacked in London for ‘sorcery,’ highlighting a disturbing pattern of violence rooted in such dangerous beliefs.
