Chinese mother jailed for accidentally killing daughter during 'exorcism' ritual
A China court gave a suspended jail term to a mother who accidentally killed her daughter during a “exorcism” ritual.
A court in southern China has handed a suspended jail sentence to a woman who accidentally killed her daughter while performing what she believed was an “exorcism” ritual at home, authorities said.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, sentenced the woman, surnamed Li, to a 3-year jail term suspended for 4 years in July. Her elder daughter, who took part in the ritual, received the same sentence. The judgment was delivered in July on charges of negligent homicide.
Prosecutors said Li and her two daughters had become deeply influenced by superstitious ideas involving telepathy and possession. They were convinced that demons were attacking them and that their “souls were sold”. In December last year, the younger daughter, surnamed Xie, suddenly said she was possessed and asked her mother and sister to perform an exorcism on her.
During the ritual, the duo applied force to the young woman’s chest and poured water down her throat to induce vomiting. At one point, the younger daughter reportedly said the ritual was effective and urged them to continue. However, the next morning, other family members found her unresponsive with bleeding from the mouth and called the police. Medical workers pronounced her dead at the scene.
The court ruled that while the mother and sister had no intention to kill and believed they were helping, their actions directly caused the victim’s death, amounting to negligence. Their cooperation with authorities and remorse were taken into account in sentencing.
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How did social media react?
The case has triggered strong reactions on Chinese social media. “This is such a horrible and silly case,” one user wrote. Another said, “What kind of cult is this? Are we living in 2025?”
Others called for stronger science education and public awareness to counter superstitious beliefs. “Cult believers are usually stubborn. They think the demon was too strong rather than accept reality,” one commenter said.
