Died during an exorcism with an Islamic rite, 3 arrested in the Turin area

They believed he was possessed by demons. And there‘exorcism to which they subjected him, with an Islamic rite, killed him. He appears to have suffocated to death by swallowing a button from a piece of clothing, while someone pressed a pillow on his face. He was tied hand and foot.

This is the incredible background discovered by the Ivrea Carabinieri who were investigating the death of a 43-year-old man of nationality. Moroccan died last February 10th at home in Salassa, a municipality in the Canavese area. Initially it was assumed that his death was caused by an overdose.

But the autopsy instead revealed that he had been suffocated. From the first checks carried out by the Carabinieri of Cuorgné it emerged that the man had undergone at least two exorcism sessions in the previous month because his family believed he was possessed by demons. Furthermore, the same investigations refuted the initial statements made by the suspects, who had attempted to divert the investigation.

Subsequent investigations, carried out with the support of the Operational Unit of the Carabinieri Company of Ivrea, shed light on the background involving the victim’s ex-spouse (35 years old), brother (46 years old) and uncle (52 years old). Abdelrhani Lakhrouti, imam of the Islamic community, would have led the rituals, which on at least one occasion would have led the unfortunate person to have to resort to hospital treatment for the injuries he had suffered. Instead, that evening in Salassa’s house in the presence of the suspects, the exorcism rite did not lead to the desired effect but rather to the man’s death.

Thus the Ivrea prosecutor’s office led by Gabriella Viglione proceeded with the arrest of the three suspects, who were validated with the application of prison for two men while the precautionary measure of house arrest was established for the woman.