A mother has been sentenced to three years in prison after her daughter died following an exorcism ritual. A parent turned into a recipient of life after succumbing to her superstitious beliefs. The shocking incident was reported in southern China’s Shenzhen.
According to a recent report by the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Procuratorate, the convicted mother, identified as Li, was sentenced to three years in prison for negligent homicide. The incident came to light when the daughter was found dead the following morning after a ritual to rid her of demons claimed the daughter’s life, the South China Morning Post reported.
Li had two daughters who shared the same beliefs as their mother. Obsessed with superstitious practices such as telepathy and medicine, the mother-daughter trio believed they were constantly being attacked and possessed by demons and that their “souls had been sold”.
Last month, Li’s younger daughter Xie insisted she was possessed by a demon. She asked her mother and older sister to perform an exorcism ritual on her to force the evil spirit to leave. During the exorcism ritual, the mother allegedly pressed Xie’s chest too hard to induce vomiting. With her elder daughter, the superstitious woman even poured water down Xia’s throat.
However, this act turned out to be fatal as Xie’s mouth began to bleed the next morning. That was when family members realized that Xie’s health was not stable and alerted the police. Rescuers rushed to the scene, but found that the girl had died. Xie was pronounced dead at the scene. A court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, ruled a manslaughter charge and gave the older daughter the same sentence as her mother.
What is an exorcism?
An exorcism, according to the Britannica, is an oath addressed to evil spirits to force them to leave an object, place, or person.
This traditional practice dates back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Babylonians. In the past, people used incantations and invocations to ward off evil spirits and demons. This practice is not limited to historical periods but also occurs in different cultures. In Christianity, exorcism rituals are mainly performed by Catholic priests and Protestant clergy.
An EBSCO report suggests that the 1970s saw a significant resurgence of the practice in the United States following the publication of the novel and film “The Exorcist.” Thus, cultural phenomena influence superstitious practices.
