Vampires have always been fascinating in literature and art. People are mystified by beings that live off the flesh of others, struggle to deal with religious icons and the power of the son.

This has led many to look into the possibility of following the vampire ways and behaving like the mythological creatures.

That is what drove a group of teens in Mexico to feast on one of their friends in an effort to turn him into the next Count Dracula.

The Victim

According to Express in the UK, 24-year-old restaurant worker Edwin Juarez Palma met his demise after being strangled, beaten, and slashed in the neck with a broken bottle in Mexico. Three teenagers were arrested by Mexican authorities, including an 18-year-old.

"This crime took place during an initiation ceremony led by a satanic sect called Sons of Baphomet 1 during which the victim was supposed to become a vampire," Police chief Pablo Rocha said according to the report.

This report is only the latest in similar such incidents, including many in New Zealand.

Satanic Rituals in Mexico

This seems to be linked with Satanic worship, which one exorcist noted is greatly affecting non-Christian nations. A year ago, a six-year-old boy was tortured and murdered as part of a ritual.

More prominent is the annual "Black Mass" in Veracruz that invites rather open devil worship. The ritual involves animal sacrifice. Those involved in this particular ritual defended it as being a ritual of the Native American Olmeca culture. This cult developed in 1970 and hold the ritual on the first day of March.

Other examples of dark worship in Mexico stem around those who pray to the "Santa Muerte (Holy Death)" when they need supernatural help to afflict pain on others. This cult grew out of a disillusionment with the Catholic Church and its inability to help those in great need. Those who believe in the "Santa Muerte" learn that the spirit does not judge anyone's actions, thus giving them permission to engage in sorts of illegal behavior without the fear of punishment in the afterlife.

Opinion

One solution thrown about a Mexican priest Jose Antonio Fortea was a re-invigoration of Christianity in the nation.

"The more a society abandons the ways of God, the more cases of Satanism. The more a nation is Christian, there are fewer cases of devil worship," he stated according to The Sun.

The issue that he faces however is that some drug cartels "butcher" (Warning: Graphic imagery) Christians in Mexico, leading to a prosecution that hurts the growth of those religious belief.

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