An independent review into the death of three-year-old Abiyah Yasharahyalah, whose parents were jailed last year for causing his death, has found that the boy was “invisible and lost” from the sight of authorities.
The body of Abiyah was found buried in a garden in Handsworth in Birmingham in December 2022, ten months after his parents had been evicted from the property. Health visitor Records show that in 2020 it was noted in a safeguarding meeting that Abiyah had not been seen by them since his six-week assessment, including at the one and two-year marks since his birth, and he had also not received any routine immunisations.
Although the cause of his death was undetermined, analysis of his skeleton showed that when he was alive he was severely malnourished and had rickets, anaemia as well as dental disease and was abnormally small with broken and deformed bones. The report by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP) found that there was a lack of curiosity from authorities regarding how his parents’ “culture and lifestyle” might have impacted on Abiyah’s wellbeing.
The report recognised that while navigating race, ethnicity, culture and beliefs “can be challenging” it also warned that “the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount”.
In December 2024, Tai Yasharahyalah was jailed for 24-and-a-half years and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah was given 19-and-a-half years, following a trial at Coventry Crown Court, which heard that the Yasharahyalahs had been motivated by a belief system that included a restrictive vegan diet and a desire to avoid unwanted attention and had opted out of mainstream society.
Speaking about the review, Savera UK CEO and Founder, Afrah Qassim, said: “We fully support the findings of the independent review and recognise the challenges faced by authorities that meant Abiyah was not protected in the way he should have been.
“Lessons must be learned from this case. We recognise and understand the challenges that frontline professionals face in identifying and calling out harmful practices. While cultural understanding is important, we must not be afraid to challenge harm where we see it.
“Abiyah’s case bore all the hallmarks of spiritual abuse, a harmful practice where religion, faith, or spiritual beliefs are used to manipulate or harm individuals. There needs to be more mandatory education around harmful practices among professionals and more education and engagement in communities, so that culture and faith are clearly separated from indicators of abuse and perpetrators of harmful practices can be challenged and held to account.
“Faith and spirituality, when operating with a healthy culture, provide a vital service to their communities, but if they are used to excuse harm caused to others, it is nothing but abuse and a violation of human rights.
“Savera UK continues to campaign, challenge harmful behaviours and attitudes and works to end HBA and harmful practices for good.”
To learn more about Spiritual Abuse, visit the Savera UK Learning Hub and download our Spiritual Abuse factsheet
