Pastor, Sister Accused of Drowning 'Possessed' Teen in Exorcism Attempt
A Bolivian evangelical pastor and his sister are accused of drowning a younger sibling in a bathtub during what they claim was an exorcism gone horribly wrong.
The Rev. Carlos Uriona and his sister, Adelaida Marca, were arrested Sunday, Dec. 18, in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia, after police found the body of their 18-year-old sister inside a store owned by Uriona, The Associated Press reported.
Juan Carlos Corrales, a spokesman for the police, explained that the teen girl, who was not named in the report, died in a bathtub during an exorcism ritual. The pastor and his sister apparently confessed to believing the victim was possessed by a demon, and that attempts to “purify” her with baptism went too far and she drowned.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Corrales shared that Uriona told police he felt an “evil presence” when they were trying to submerge her in the bathtub.
“An evil spirit entered me, took control of my hand and began to submerge my little sister,” Marca said. “Satan was inside the tub.”
The 26-year-old woman reportedly admitted that she prevented her younger sibling from surfacing, and described her face as “ugly and satanic,” EFE Agency reported.
Both suspects may now face a psychological evaluation before they go to trial.
Andres Marca, the father of the sisters, told Opinion newspaper that he and his family were unable to understand what happened, and that everything was in God's hands. “All this hurts me; I don't know what I'm going to do. I just trust in God,” the man said.
Exorcism is practiced in some religions as a way to drive evil spirits, or demons, from a person believed to be possessed, and in Christianity the practice is more commonly associated with Catholicism, as there is no evangelical rite of exorcism.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., in a 2010 commentary for The Christian Post , explained that although evangelicals also believe in the power of the devil and demons, there is no need for ordained priests to combat such forces.
The president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professed that there were real instances of demon possession in the New Testament, and that Jesus freed individuals from such afflictions.
“The weapons of our warfare are spiritual, and the powers that the forces of darkness most fear are the name of Jesus, the authority of the Bible, and the power of his Gospel,” Mohler wrote.
