Five Found Guilty in Maori Exorcism Death

Five people who drowned their niece in an attempt to rid her of evil spirits have been found guilty of manslaughter by a New Zealand court, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The 22-year-old woman, who prosecutors said was mentally ill, died after the group poured water over her face for hours in a Maori curse-lifting ritual.

The court was told that the woman's family believed she had been possessed by demons after the theft of a concrete lion from a pub. The woman's grandfather said his hatred towards the accused has now been replaced by sadness. "We've made our peace with them. They didn't know what they were doing, even though I told them not to go down that road," he said. (More New Zealand stories.)