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Fiery ritual lands man in hospital

Jun 17, 2009 News



–    Obeah woman disappears
A Buxton resident is hospitalised with burns to the lower part of his body after an obeah ceremony to cast out demons from him went horribly wrong.
The man was burnt on his backside, waist and legs on Sunday after a woman who professed to have the power to cast out evil spirits lit camphor on his body.  The woman, said to be a member of the City Constabulary, has since disappeared, and according to reports, family members are tight-lipped about the incident and have not yet reported the matter to the police.
A police source on the East Coast of Demerara told this newspaper that a detective from the Vigilance Police Station visited the injured man at the Burn Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, but did not get an official statement.
The victim sustained first and second degree burns.
According to reports, since the death of a close relative, the man began acting strangely and family members were convinced that he was possessed by demons.
They invited the woman to their home to perform the rights of casting out the demons.  A source in the village told this newspaper that the subject was placed to lie on a table and camphor and other materials were placed on his back and then set alight.  But instead of casting out the demons, relatives watched as the man screamed in pain as the fire tore into his flesh.  It was not until they realized what was actually happening was harming the young man instead of healing him that they put out the fire and rushed him to the hospital where he was immediately admitted.  According to the villager, the professed obeah healer who lives in Buxton was seen with a huge bag and it is suspected that she has left the village as a result of the botched ritual.  The practice of obeah is not illegal in Guyana, but according to police sources, the woman could be charged for inflicting grievous bodily harm.
A few years ago Patricia Alves, called Mother Alves, a self-confessed spiritual healer was sentenced to several years in jail for the murder of a young woman who was beaten to death under the guise of beating out demons from her.
Her body was found buried in a shallow grave in the spiritualist’s yard in Alberttown.

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