Police in Sri Lanka say two people arrested in connection with the death of a 9-year-old girl were performing an exorcism.
One of the murder suspects is the girl's mother. She believed her daughter was possessed by a demon and took her to the home of the exorcist for a ritual people there believe can drive evil spirits away.
The girl died late last week and the suspects were arrested early this week and have now appeared in court to hear the charges against them.
The girl was allegedly repeatedly beaten.
The incident happened in Delgoda, a small town about 25 miles northeast of the capital, Colombo, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Police representative Ajith Rohana says the exorcist first put oil on the girl and then began to repeatedly hit her with a cane. When the girl lost consciousness, she was taken to a hospital, where she died.
The exorcist has been offering her "services" for several months. Police are investigating if any others had been abused, Rohana said.
Rohana encouraged people to be suspicious of such services. The girl is not the first to die during such a ritual.
