Jaén parents and uncle Jailed for ‘exorcism’ of daughter following UK divorce

A mother, father, and uncle have been sentenced to seven months in prison by a Jaen court for performing an exorcism on their 27-year-old daughter.

The defendants, who are of Pakistani origin, told the court they believed the woman was "possessed" by a demon following her decision to seek a divorce while living in the United Kingdom.

The case reached the Provincial Court of Jaen this week after a National Police investigation into a domestic disturbance in the town of Linares.

Officers told the court that when they arrived at the property on 23 January 2023, the parents initially denied any incident was taking place. However, the sounds of screams from within the house prompted officers to enter, where they discovered a man on top of the victim. Police testified that the man was attempting to silence the woman by covering her mouth while holding her by the wrists.

The victim, who was found in a state of distress and crying, had sustained visible injuries including bruising to her arms, face, and lips, as well as abrasions on her temple.

At the time of the rescue, she told officers she had been held against her will for 22 days since arriving from the UK, with the front door locked to prevent her escape.

The uncle, a practising imam in the UK who testified via videoconference, denied using force or holding his niece captive. He claimed that the ritual was a "healing" process involving the reading of suras from the Quran.

The parents, assisted by an interpreter, maintained that they were merely trying to cure their daughter and denied that she had been beaten, though they admitted she had eaten very little during the period.

The Public Prosecutor's office originally sought an additional eight-year sentence for aggravated unlawful detention. This request was eventually withdrawn because the victim failed to appear in court and declined to testify against her relatives.

Furthermore, the victim’s sister testified that her sibling had not been held captive and had been seen in public during the month in question.

Because the victim never filed a formal statement or pressed charges, and her legal team indicated she is not seeking compensation, the court proceeded with the lesser sentencing for domestic abuse. The matter of any final compensation will be addressed during the formal execution of the sentence.