Demon 'blobs' in eyes

Photo gallery: Makutu case accused

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CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post Zoom

Hall Jones Wharepapa, 46, is jointly charged with the manslaughter of Janet Moses.

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LATEST: A woman charged with allowing a 14-year-old girl to be ill-treated during a makutu cleansing ceremony told police she saw demon "blobs" running around the eyeballs of young people taken over by evil spirits.

A jury in the High Court at Wellington has heard a recording of the woman's interview with police after the girl was taken to Lower Hutt hospital with eye injuries on October 12, 2007.

That same day mother of two Janet Moses, 22, allegedly drowned during a ceremony at a Wainuiomata flat where dozens of her extended family gathered to cleanse her of a makutu, or curse.

Nine of her uncles and aunts are charged with manslaughter and two people, whose names are suppressed, are charged with allowing the younger girl to be ill-treated.

The woman charged in relation to the younger girl told police that the eyes of the girl, who cannot be identified, were bright red and bulging and water was used to flush the demon out of her eyes.

Demons that possessed several young people could be seen running around in their eyes, the woman said.

"It was just like a blob type of thing that is the best way I can describe it."

POLICE WERE 'DEMONS' - ACCUSED

Earlier today, a senior detective said the makutu manslaughter investigation was "unique".

Detective Senior Sergeant Tusha Penny was giving evidence about speaking to one of the nine accused late on the day of Ms Moses' death, October 12, 2007.

The interview started around midnight and continued through the night, finishing just before 4am.

Defence lawyer Mike Antunovic asked Ms Penny whether police had received a unique degree of co-operation from the accused and their large extended family.

"To be honest, I think the case is unique," she said.

The family gave good co-operation in terms of arranging for people to be interviewed and being brought to the police station, she said. To her knowledge no lawyers were present for any of the interviews.

But she added that one of the accused - Alfred Kepa, who waved from the dock when she pointed to him in court - had arrived at the police station two days after Ms Moses death concerned that the interviews were holding up a family hui, and said the police were "demons and wankers" for doing that.

BEFORE THE COURT

Nine members of Janet Moses' extended family are charged with her manslaughter, which the Crown alleges was the result of an attempt to remove a curse a makutu or evil spirit.

The accused are: John Tahana Rawiri, 49, Georgina Aroha Rawiri, 50, Aroha Gwendoline Wharepapa, 48, Hall Jones Wharepapa, 46, Tanginoa Apanui, 42, Angela Rangiaroha Orupe, 46, Gaylene Tangiohorere Kepa, 44, Alfred Hughes Kepa, 48, and Glenys Lynette Wright, 52. All are siblings of Ms Moses' mother, or their partners.

Two people, whose names are suppressed, are charged with cruelty to a 14-year-old girl in their care.

The charges date from October 12, 2007, at Wainuiomata, when Ms Moses and others were subjected to a water-based ceremony resulting in Ms Moses drowning, the Crown alleges.

Wharepapa said she tried to solve the puzzle and was not involved in the cleansing process.

She said their faith included strong belief in their ancestors and getting guidance from their ancestors. The guidance included using cold water to bless with and pouring it down Ms Moses throat to cleanse her of demons.

- © Fairfax NZ News