In a bizarre trial that is currently underway in Singapore, 50-year old Amutha Valli is suing the Novena Church over an alleged exorcism. The plaintiff is claiming that the exorcism occurred on August 10, 2004 and left her traumatized and unable to work. Amutha Valli, a former national athlete, had a long-standing history of psychiatric involvement and, according to defense testimony, had been "slithering like a snake, shouting and screaming like Satan and marching like a soldier" before the alleged exorcism occurred. The priests who are at the centre of the trial contend that they have been approached by her family for help and had only conducted a "prayer session". Defense counsel has also accused the plaintiff of fabricating the story for financial gain.
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The article says the Plaintiff has a history of mental illness --
On the one hand, how credible is the Plaintiff that the exorcism caused the trauma which led to her not being able to work?
On the other hand, the church -- in a position of trust -- performed the "exorcism" -- will they "exorcise" anyone? Even the most vulnerable? How about giving psychotropic medications as part of a religious ceremony?
Interesting case.
Posted by: Swivelchair | October 26, 2007 at 02:42 PM
There is nothing new about exorcising the mentally ill (I know I've posted about it before several times on this blog). William Peter Blatty is supposed to have based "The Exorcist" on a real-life exorcism that occurred in 1949. It seems so much easier for relatives to blame the mental illness that their loved ones experience on the supernatural.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | October 26, 2007 at 07:43 PM
If you follow on with the development of the case, this more of an attempted scam.
The plaintiff has previously filed claims against an ex-employer and given a token payoff, again based on some mental illness.
This time, the scammers figured that a church would shy away from publicity and pay her off. What she didn't count on was a full blown examination that left her with no route to seek but again to pretend memory loss.
Posted by: Gaz | January 15, 2008 at 12:57 AM
I'm having difficulty following up on the most recent developments but I'm not sure that an actual scam has been proven in court yet. I think the trial is over by now but I would be interested in finding out more.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | January 15, 2008 at 07:10 AM
It's a very strange case indeed. "The plaintiff" went to church, for what reason? To pray! (don't forget that) instead she acts possessed in a sacred place. Her family requests the priest to pray over her. Later they sue the Church for having prayed over her claiming the priests tried to exorcise the "demons" in her and left her traumatised.
If they had preferred the priest to have called the ambulance instead, they should not have gone to the church in the first place! It's an obvious scam to get money from the Church.
Really mind boggling how it even got through the courts in Singapore!
Posted by: Rosita | July 17, 2008 at 10:39 AM