Related
Advertisements *
Elsewhere
Subscribe: RSS
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Subscribe: Email
![]() |
![]() Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Most Popular
- Todd Bentley commissioned as an evangelist: a Christian role-playing game
- LDS Church stressing its differences from FLDS polygamous sect
- Man says he lost his wife and kids to Dutch sect
- Muslims, sniffer dogs, body scans, and headscarves
- Will there be a worldwide catastrophe on December 21, 2012?
- Pentagon asked to block Christian broadcast
- Why does sex play such a large role for fringe religious sects?
- A prayer bump causes division amongst Muslims in Egypt
- Scientology is focus of flap over Will Smith’s new school
- Cult expert: Texas shouldn’t have released FLDS kids
Woman drowns during exorcism ceremony
A 22-year-old woman died during an exorcism ritual in New Zealand, drowning at a relative’s home as up to 40 family members looked on, police said today.
Janet Moses, a mother of two, was held under water in an attempt to drive away a makutu, or Maori curse. Containers holding an “extensive amount” of water were brought into the lounge of the house, in Wellington, for the ceremony.
The woman had been dead for nine hours before her family contacted police. She had been placed on a bed and was found with grazes to her upper arms, forearms and torso.
Detectives initially treated the death as unexplained until a post-mortem ruled out natural causes and revealed the woman had drowned.
Detective Sergeant Ross Levy, leading the inquiry, confirmed that a “cultural ceremony” had taken place, and said police were treating the death as a homicide. The exorcism took place on October 12.
Moses, who had daughters aged one and three, stayed at her relative’s house in the week leading up the ceremony. A woman living next door said she heard loud noises on the night of the exorcism, “like banging on a wall”, adding that a large number of people had entered and left the building.
Detectives have now interviewed 100 members of the woman’s family. “The family has always been the central focus of the inquiry … this has not changed and won’t change,” Det Sgt Levy said. “Our task is to identify those responsible for Janet’s death.”
The exorcism ritual was held because the woman’s relatives believed a curse had been put on her after another member of her family stole a taonga, meaning treasured artefact, belonging to someone else.
Dr Hone Kaa, an archdeacon of the Anglican Maori Church, told the New Zealand Herald that he was last involved in a makutu-lifting ceremony 12 years ago, but said they were still commonplace.
Dr Kaa said water was used to cleanse the victim during the ceremony, and expressed surprise when he heard the amount of water alleged to have been used.
He added that such ceremonies were “very emotional, very intense”, but said he had never heard of anyone being badly injured.
“You may have to hold the person down because the spirit may fight within the person to stay, so you need others around you to restrain them,” he said.
The victim was buried in a traditional Maori funeral ceremony.
Like this story?
Today's Most Popular Articles |
|
Share this
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
Article and Site Tools
» PermaLink to: Woman drowns during exorcism ceremony Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final / » More news articles + news archive on Exorcism » More religion and cult news Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?] » RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed » RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Exorcism » Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines |
More Article Tools
Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us Bookmark / Tag: Furl Save this article Email this article Print this article [Temporarily out of order] More Information Books about Exorcism Relevant books (and other goodies) |
About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.



