Sri Lankan police said Monday they had arrested two people in connection with the death of a 9-year-old girl who was repeatedly beaten during a ritual they believed would ward off an evil spirit. The two suspects, the woman who performed the exorcism and the girl’s mother, were due to appear in court on Monday to find out the charges for the girl’s death, which occurred over the weekend in Delgoda, a small town in about 40 kilometers northeast of the capital, Colombo.
Sudath Pubudu Keerthi / AP
According to police spokeswoman Ajith Rohana, the mother believed her daughter had been possessed by a demon and took her to the exorcist’s house so that a ritual could be performed to expel the spirit.
Rohana said the exorcist first put oil on the girl and then started hitting her repeatedly with a cane. When the girl lost consciousness, she was taken to a hospital, where she died. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
The woman who performed the ritual on the girl was known in the area for providing such services in recent months and police were investigating if anyone else had been abused, Rohana said.
Rohana urged the public to be careful about these services, as the girl was not the first to die during this ritual.