My name is Mardoche Yembi and I made 'Kindoki Witch Boy' about my story.
I was born in a small village in Congo to one of seven children. When I was eight years old my mother died during childbirth. My father sent me to London with his brother's wife. I was sad to leave my village.I lived in Finsbury Park with my uncle and his wife.
When I was 11, she started dreaming of spirits chasing her. The pastor accused me of being a witch, "he is possessed by kindoki" (evil spirits). From then on, I suffered terrible abuse at the hands of my relatives. This went on for years. Social services eventually intervened but they didn't understand what Kindoki was. This made it very difficult for me to get help - I was very conflicted because I didn't trust authorities. My dad had told me to trust my family more than anyone in the UK.
One day, my behaviour went police started getting involved and sent for psychiatric evaluation on Holloway Road. I started talking. The translator was from Congo so believed me the doctor didn't, she was in shock. I spent six months in a mental health institution and then back to my family at weekends, and then sent back to my family. The abuse continued when I visited. They realised it was dangerous for me to go home and I adopted by a kind foster carer who I stayed with until I was an adult.I never saw my family again.
I have made this film to educate people and raise awareness about Kindoki.
In the UK alone, there are tens of thousands of children suffering in silence because people don't understand the signs or know how to help. 14,000 cases have been recorded in the UK but the actual number is far, far higher because the victims are too scared to speak up.