A 9-year-old girl is dead after police say she was a victim of a brutal exorcism that was planned by her own mother.
Fox 8 reports that the incident happened near Colombo, Sri Lanka, after a mother took the child to a so-called exorcist to remove alleged demons. According to police spokesperson Ajith Rohana, the mother was convinced her daughter had a demon in her and sought out a woman known in the community for performing exorcisms.
During the ritual, the exorcist allegedly beat the girl with a cane as the child’s mother watched. CNA reports that the exorcist allegedly put oil on the girl before reportedly hitting her over and over again with the cane.
The victim ultimately lost consciousness and was taken to a local hospital, where she pronounced dead. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
“The child had collapsed after the severe beating she received. She was found dead on admission to hospital,” Rohana said.
Both the mother and the exorcist were arrested, although the exact charges against them are unclear at this time.
Meanwhile, authorities warned others to be careful using “witch doctors,” adding that similar incidents have happened before.
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[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
