Three Chinese men accused of beating woman to death in ritual to expel ‘snake devil’
- Faith healer accused of telling woman’s husband and his brother she had been possessed by a demonic spirit
- Trio go on trial charged with assault causing fatal injuries and could face 10 years in jail
Three men went on trial in northern China on Wednesday accused of beating a woman to death in an attempt to expel a “snake devil” from her body.
Hu Ruijuan, 33, died in Hebei province in November 2017 after being beaten with a whip in what the court heard was a ritual intended to cure her daughter’s illness.
Her husband, Chen Chunlong, 29, carried out the attack with his brother after consulting Zhao Qingjiang, a local “banxian”, or demigod, who claimed he had the power to solve a wide range of problems including illness, Yancheng People’s Court heard.
The trio were charged with assault causing fatal injuries, a charge that a lawyer for Hu’s relatives said could lead to more than 10 years in jail. The court has yet to deliver its verdict.
The couple, who had been running a home decoration business in Beijing, had returned home to visit Chen’s mother in Yangchen county, the woman’s brother Hu Lianjun told the South China Morning Post.