Witchdoctors are suspects in killing

London - A boy whose dismembered torso was found floating in the River Thames may have been the victim of a ritual killing, detectives…

London - A boy whose dismembered torso was found floating in the River Thames may have been the victim of a ritual killing, detectives said yesterday. Officers are exploring the possibility that the boy was the victim of African witchdoctors who used his body parts for magic potions.

The butchered body of the Afro-Caribbean boy, who was thought to have been five- years-old and has yet to be identified, was spotted in the river near Tower Bridge in London last month. His arms, legs and head were missing.

Detectives have also not ruled out the possibility that he could have been the victim of paedophiles, although there was no overt sign of a sexual attack.