Koreans face trial over of 'exorcism' murder in German hotel
InterContinental Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, where five Koreans beat a woman to death during an "exorcism ritual" on Dec. 5, 2015 / Yonhap
By Hong Dam-young
Five Koreans charged with murder over the death of a woman relative during an “exorcism ritual” at a Frankfurt hotel last year have gone on trial in Germany. The trial, which started Monday, is scheduled to last until mid-January.
On Dec. 5 last year, German police found the woman, 41, dead and tied to a bed in a room of the InterContinental Hotel. She had been beaten on the chest and abdomen, according to CBS News on Tuesday.
The report quoted a German prosecutor who had investigated the case as saying: “The victim seemed to have been in pain for at least two hours, while a towel and a clothes hanger were stuffed into her mouth to stop her from screaming.
“They came to Germany from Korea six weeks previously and had rented a house in Sulzbach, 15 kilometers from the hotel, but didn't stay there much.”
An autopsy showed the victim died of asphyxiation from massive chest compression and violence to her neck.
The suspects claimed they carried out a ritual to expel a “demon” that had possessed the woman, the court heard. They had even summoned a priest from a Korean Protestant community to make sure the exorcism worked. When it became apparent the victim had died, the priest called police.
The accused include the victim’s son, 15, and a woman in her 40s and her two children. They are believed to be from a Christian community influenced by shamanism.
During the investigation, police found another woman, 41, in the garage of the house the five had rented. She was taken to hospital for treatment for hypothermia and dehydration.