Church members burn girl’s face in bid to ‘exorcise demons’ – PHOTOS
A 13-year-old girl from Ponda Mali slum on the outskirts of Nakuru Town narrowly escaped death when members of a church burnt her face in a bid to “exorcise demons”.
The girl, whose face was badly disfigured, was in for another shock when doctors discovered she was one month pregnant.
She said one of her tormentors is responsible for the pregnancy.
GREAT PAIN
“She was in great pain and we only discovered the pregnancy after conducting tests,” said a nurse at the hospital.
The nurse said the girl, a Standard Seven pupil at a public school, received slightly over one per cent degree burns to her face and was responding well to treatment.
The upper part of her right eye was badly injured. She was taken to Nakuru Level Five Hospital by neighbours who found her in her brother’s house.
Narrating her ordeal on Saturday, the girl said members of Roho Mowar Israel Church arrived at her brother’s house about 7.30pm.
“I was seated at home when they knocked on the door and entered,” she said.
“They wrapped my head in a red piece of cloth and said they would pray to exorcise evil spirits in my body.”
“They then poured paraffin on my face and lit a candle,” she said.
AN ACCIDENT
Ms Beatrice Achieng, a member of the church who confessed leading the ritual, said what happened was an accident.
At the same time, Mr Joseph Omondi whom the girl accuses of impregnating her, denied the claim.
“I am ready for any investigations,” Mr Omondi said.
Ms Achieng said they lit the candles and one of the worshippers sipped paraffin and sprayed it over the girl’s face igniting the fire.
“The fire also burnt a church member’s hand,” she told journalists.
Ms Achieng denied claims that they were practising witchcraft and said she was once exorcised in the same manner.
“Neighbours know me well. Let nobody bring witchcraft matters here. This was a purely religious prayer,” she added.
