Spanish priest performs 13 exorcisms on anorexic girl

Spanish priest and official exorcist of Valladolid, Jesus Hernandez Sahagun was arrested and is now facing charges of gender violence, causing injury and mistreatment, according to the Daily Mail. The priest has allegedly performed 13 exorcisms on the girl, who was being treated for anorexia since 2012, after the parents had contacted him saying she was being possessed by the devil. 

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) -  The parents told the court that Sahagun had full awareness that their daughter was on treatment and he had full access to her medical records.

With the priest having the girl's parents convinced she had a demonic possession, the girl's aunt and uncle raised the alarm to authority after seeing the girl injured after the ceremonies. 

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The parents, however, claim that the priest said there would be no harm to their daughter and interference with her treatment while he performed the exorcism. 

During the ritual, the girl was reported as being tied up with crucifixes hung above her head, which they say led her into attempting suicide. The priest defended the exorcisms last year, telling the newspaper, El Mundo, that he had performed more than 200 exorcisms for the past four years.

According to the last year's statement by the archbishop of Burgos, the young girl did not attempt to commit the suicide due to the exorcism. He also added that it is a part of the Church tradition, a religious practice that is made available to any one subscribing in the faith. 

The Catholic Church in Spain recruited eight specialists on exorcism back in 2013, according to Newsweek. 

In July last year, Pope Francis made exorcisms a part of official Catholic practice, calling it a 'form of charity' by the Vatican.

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