Nine charged with woman's death during Maori exorcism

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: Nine family members appeared in a New Zealand court Wednesday charged with manslaughter over the death of a 22 year old woman during an apparent Maori exorcism ceremony in October, police said, according to the Associated Press.

The six women and three men entered no pleas when they appeared in Lower Hutt District Court, and were released on police bail by Judge Denis Barry.

One of the women was charged jointly with a fourth man with cruelty to a child, a 14-year-old girl who also nearly died during the ceremony.

The judge granted all 10 defendants interim name suppression until they reappear in February.

The 10, aged between 42 and 57, were released on bail on condition that they not participate in or advise anyone over any ceremony involving Maori exorcism or cleansing procedures.

Police said the deceased drowned in a family bath during the ceremony at her grandparents' home on October 12 while about 40 members of her family looked on.

Her 14-year-old cousin was taken to hospital after nearly dying during a subsequent exorcism — one of six other people subject to exorcism after the woman drowned, police said.

Earlier, police said the teenager nearly lost her sight after her eyes were gouged to drive out an evil spirit during the exorcism.

Iraq in numbers

Is the situation in the war-torn nation getting better? The numbers seem to think so

• Civilian deaths in Iraq fell for the second consecutive month in October to their lowest level this year. Figures from Iraq’s health, interior and defence ministries show 758 civilians were killed in violence in October, along with 117 policemen and 13 Iraqi soldiers. In September, 884 civilians were killed. The highest monthly toll this year was 1,971 in January.

• US military deaths have also fallen sharply in the past two months, with senior US generals noting a five-month decline in combat deaths. Independent website casualties.org says 38 US soldiers were killed in October, the lowest death toll since March 2006. In September, 65 were killed. Despite the declines, 2007 has become the deadliest year of the war for US soldiers, with 854 killed so far. In total, 3,858 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq since 2003.

• Baghdad security spokesman Brigadier-General Qassim Moussawi has said 46,030 Iraqis returned to the capital from abroad in October because of improved security, a big jump from previous government estimates of 3,200 families this year.

• The United Nations estimates some 4.4 million Iraqis have left their homes and moved abroad or elsewhere within Iraq. The Iraqi Red Crescent says the number of internally displaced reached 2.3 million by the end of September. At least 2 million have fled to other countries, between 1.4 million and 2 million to Syria and about 750,000 to Jordan. Between 4,000 and 6,000 Iraqis a day were crossing into Syria before Damascus tightened migration rules last month.