Spanish Priest Arrested for Performing as Many as 13 Exorcisms on Underage Anorexic Girl
A judge in Burgos, Spain, called for the arrest of a priest and an exorcist who performed multiple exorcisms on an underage anorexic girl.
The official exorcist of Valladolid, Jesus Hernandez Sahagun, has been asked to make a statement as he is being charged with gender violence, causing injury and mistreatment, according a local newspaper, Diario de Burgos.
The young girl had as many as 13 exorcisms performed on her while she was still a minor.
Incidents date back to 2012 when the girl first started to suffer from anorexia. Her parents called in an exorcist because they were convinced that she was possessed by the devil.
The girl attempted suicide after the exorcisms which prompted members of her extended family to file a complaint. After their complaint, authorities launched an investigation.
The girl's parents said that the exorcist knew that she was undergoing medical treatment and had full access to her medical records.
At the same time, the priest told the parents that the exorcism would not interfere with her medical treatment.
The girl began suffering from anorexia when she was 16 years old, according to The Guardian.
In May 2012, the girl from the northern city of Burgos began undergoing psychiatric treatment. Her parents saw her mental disease as a "sign of her possession by the devil" and took her to the priest in Valladolid during her treatment.
The priest carried out several exorcisms on the girl in a span of three months. He reportedly tied her up with crosses on her head and made her lie on the ground for up to two hours.
"Exorcisms are a religious practice that has been maintained as part of the church's tradition, and is a right available to all of the faithful," the archdiocese said defending the practice.
Yet, the judge said that the exorcisms on the girl may have crossed the line into "domestic violence."
There has been an increasing demand for the practice of exorcism in Spain.
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