A young woman in an isolated part of Nicaragua has
died a week after being tied up and allegedly thrown on a
fire in an exorcism ritual.
Family members told local media that Vilma Trujillo had
been attacked by four people led by a man who said he
was an evangelical pastor.
Juan Rocha denied burning Mrs Trujillo, saying evil spirits
had suspended her above the fire and then dropped her.
Relatives found Mrs Trujillo, 25, hours later with severe
burns.
The police have arrested Mr Rocha and a number of other people allegedly involved in the attack.
The victim's husband, Reynaldo Peralta Rodriguez, said
the mother-of-two was taken inside a church last week
when members thought she was possessed after allegedly trying to attack people with a machete, the Associated
Press reports.
"It's unforgiveable what they did to us," he was quoted as saying.
"They killed my wife, the mother of my two little ones. Now
what am I going to tell them?"
Pablo Cuevas, a spokesman for Nicaragua's Human
Rights Commission, called on the government for
firmer control over religious sects in the country.
"It is incredible that these things can happen today, there
has to be a review by the authorities into all the different denominations and religions," he said. "We can't have things like this happening."
Women's rights groups said the case was an example
of fanaticism and misogyny.
Juanita Jimenez of the Autonomous Women's Movement (MAM) told local media that it was also the product of a
lack of state presence in isolated parts of the country and
an act of barbarity.
"Apart from the religious aspect, nothing justifies an act
that is as cruel as burning a woman, putting her on a fire
with the help of other people who you have used religion to manipulate," the activist said.

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