I’ve seen some pretty messed up voodoo rituals in my day. I think probably the most graphic one involved a man, allegedly possessed by the spirit of the dead, who bit off the testicles of a goat. The gonads were spread around for everyone to suck on, until the creature’s throat was cut, with some licking the bloodied knife. Let’s just say I had some trouble keeping my lunch down.

It’s bad enough when these rituals constitute animal cruelty, but this latest story makes this goat stuff pale and seem like child’s play. Marie Lauradin was convinced her daughter Frantzcia was possessed by an evil spirit, and so she decided to douse her daughter in rum, and to burn the demons out. After the Grandmother put Frantzcia out with a bucket of water, they put her to bed, only bringing her to a hospital the next day after another relative begged them to. Frantzcia suffered from second and third degree burns. She will be scarred for the rest of her life, and I can only imagine the pain she must have gone through. I get all teary when I get a little burn on my hand. She has second and third degree burns on 25% of her body!

The mother faces up to 25 years in jail for endangering the welfare of a child, and the grandmother was also charged and faces a possible 7 years. Their version of the story was that she was boiling water and accidentally spilled it on her child when startled. She still has no explanation as to why she waited almost 24 hours before going to the hospital, however. The truth only came to be known when Frantzcia told her foster caregivers what had really happened to her.

I have to wonder how many rebellious or independent daughters have suffered at the hands of their mentally deranged mothers who believe their behavior must be the product of evil forces at work. It’s another example of how dangerous superstitious beliefs can be. It seems burning people alive is a common practice in a number of organized religions. Clearly, this shit has to stop.

I hope both these deranged women get the maximum penalty for their crime, and I hope poor Frantzcia will recover and find a new family that doesn’t think setting people on fire is a good idea. There are still a few sane people in this world, right?