A court in China has sentenced a mother, Li, to a three-year jail term, suspended for four years, after her younger daughter died during an exorcism ritual in Shenzhen.
According to South China Morning Post, Li accidentally killed her daughter while attempting to “expel” demons. She and her elder daughter had reportedly become deeply involved in superstitious practices involving telepathy and spiritual possession, fearing that demons had attacked them and that their souls had been sold.
In December last year, the younger daughter, Xie junior, claimed she was possessed by a spirit and asked her mother and elder sister to perform a ritual to save her. The family used violent methods, including pressing hard on the girl’s chest and pouring water down her throat to induce vomiting.
The girl initially claimed the ritual was effective and encouraged them to continue. Tragically, her body was discovered the following morning with a bleeding mouth, and medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. The court classified the case as negligent homicide.
Both Li and her elder daughter, Xie, received the same suspended sentence, with the court acknowledging that their intent had been to help the victim rather than to harm her.
The case has sparked widespread shock online, with many expressing disbelief that such extreme superstitious beliefs still exist in 2025.
