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Novena Church exorcism suit

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Clutched

Ex-national sportswoman claims exorcism forced on her. Priests give different account

Novena Church exorcism suit begins tomorrow

By Crystal Chan

 

NP_IMAGES_CSCHURCH.jpg

 

October 24, 2007

 

SHE claimed she was given a forced exorcism.

 

The church said it was just a prayer session.

 

The trial is due to begin tomorrow in the High Court - three years after the alleged incident.

 

Madam Amutha Valli, 50, is accusing the Novena Church, two of its priests and seven of its helpers of 'exorcising her' against her will.

 

The former national walker is asking the High Court to award her compensation for loss of earnings and future medical expenses.

 

She also said that because of the trauma she suffered, she had to stop giving private tuition. The incident has also left her depressed and she is in need of 24-hour care.

 

Madam Amutha is leaving it to the High Court to assess the damages, which would be at least $250,000 if she wins. Suits involving at least $250,000 are heard in the High Court.

 

SAVINGS WIPED OUT

 

She claimed her medical expenses, amounting to more than $70,000, have wiped out most of her family's savings. This included hiring a maid to look after her.

 

The trial has been set for three weeks before Justice Lee Seiu Kin.

 

This is believed to be the first time an exorcism is the subject of a lawsuit here.

 

Madam Amutha said that on 10 Aug, 2004, she, her son, daughter and a male family friend went to the church at Thomson Road as her son, Mr Jairajkumar Jeyabal, then 27, wanted to pray there.

 

She claimed that she fainted there, and that Father Simon Tan and Father Jacob Ong took her to a room to rest while her family waited outside.

 

It is alleged that Father Tan came out of the room and told her family that she was possessed by a spirit and would need to be exorcised.

 

Both Father Tan and Father Ong are said to have gathered seven other church helpers to assist in the 'exorcism'.

 

The 'exorcism' lasted about 2 1/2 hours, and Madam Amutha supposedly protested against it.

 

She claimed she was pinned to the floor by five of the helpers while the two priests stood in front of her and two other helpers recited the Bible.

 

She also alleged that when she insisted on going to the toilet, Father Tan prevented her from closing the door, resulting in her having to relieve herself under his watch.

 

Madam Amutha also accused the church helpers, who allegedly held her down, of verbally abusing her and threatening to 'break her head'.

 

She and her family claimed that the church members told them to leave the place after they demanded to call the police and for an ambulance.

 

However, the church, the priests and the seven helpers gave a different account.

 

In his defence, Father Tan said that the actual event was not an exorcism, but a prayer session that had been requested by her and her family.

 

He denied locking her up against her will, outraging her modesty, or injuring her during the prayer session.

 

Father Tan claimed it was Madam Amutha who hurled vulgarities at the worshippers and at her own family as well.

 

He said Madam Amutha was 'violently shaking the grilles leading to the prayer hall', and that her daughter told him then that her mother was 'possessed and suicidal'.

 

ABUSIVE

 

He also said that the family was asked to leave the church when Madam Amutha continued to be abusive.

 

Father Ong's account is similar to Father Tan's, except for one other thing - he claimed Madam Amutha was also creeping on all fours in the church.

 

He said a man, who claimed to be Madam Amutha's brother, told him she was possessed by a dead soldier's spirit.

 

Following this, the brother ordered Madam Amutha: 'Soldier, stand up' and 'Soldier, march'.

 

Madam Amutha then obeyed the 'commands' and started marching.

 

She then returned to creeping on all fours.

 

Her family made a police report, but no criminal charges were filed against the defendants.

 

A report by psychiatrist Angelina Chan of Changi General Hospital stated that Madam Amutha's symptoms are a 'direct result of the traumatic incident that she experienced at the church'.

 

LAW FIRM REJECTED CASE

 

The suit was not without its hiccups.

 

Madam Amutha's family first approached well-known criminal lawyer Mr Subhas Anandan.

 

But Mr Anandan's then employer, Harry Elias Partnership, told him to reject the case as the law firm has a policy of not acting against a place of worship.

 

Mr R.S. Bajwa of Bajwa & Co is now representing Madam Amutha.

 

Novena Church and Father Tan is represented by Mr Tito Isaac and Mr P Padman of Tito Isaac & Co, while Father Ong is represented by Senior Counsel Jimmy Yim and MrDarrell Low of Drew & Napier, as well as Mr Cosmas Gomez of Cosmas & Co.

 

 

Defence lawyers in alleged exorcism trial uncover plaintiff's past

By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 24 October 2007 2129 hrs

 

SINGAPORE: A landmark trial, believed to be the first in Singapore on alleged exorcism, started its hearing in the High Courts on Wednesday.

 

Two priests, the Novena Church and seven church choir members are being sued for allegedly forcing a rite of exorcism on Amutha Valli on 10 August 2004.

 

Lawyers defending the Novena Church and its helpers said the 50-year-old plaintiff has hatched up a scam for compensation of at least a quarter of a million dollars.

 

The court also heard how she had tried to hide her 25 years of psychiatric medical record.

 

Justice Lee Seiu Kin, who is presiding over the case, has visited the church grounds to retrace what happened on that fateful night.

 

He was accompanied by five teams of prosecution and defence lawyers.

 

Amutha, a former national sportswoman and private tutor, had gone to Novena Church to pray with her son, daughter and sworn brother.

 

She allegedly fainted while praying.

 

Defence lawyers said Amutha "slithered like a snake, rattled on the grilles, and marched like a soldier on command of her sworn brother"

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Hiphiphoray

Hiphiphoray

6th Gear
(edited)

Ya lor...this kind of shiit-face. Who wants to held her down and molest her who whatever ? See her face nia wana vomit liao. [laugh][laugh][laugh]

 

Eeeeee....drank blood b4 somemore. [dizzy][dizzy][dizzy]

 

Now kena PI big-time liao.......all her dirty laundry all exposed. High chance she gona kena counter-sue.....somemore church got lots of supporters & tons of money to play with her. [shakehead][shakehead][shakehead]

Edited by Hiphiphoray
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Nismobabe

Nismobabe

Neutral Newbie
This woman done it before ... faking mental...claimed 30k from singtel before...

conwoman

then can singtel sue her back now to claim back the 30k?omg he drank blood by Adrian Lim..maybe she became hur.gif after drinking blood that explains her past mental history

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Wolverman

Wolverman

Neutral Newbie
Ya lor...this kind of shiit-face. Who wants to held her down and molest her who whatever ? See her face nia wana vomit liao. [laugh][laugh][laugh]

 

Eeeeee....drank blood b4 somemore. [dizzy][dizzy][dizzy]

 

Now kena PI big-time liao.......all her dirty laundry all exposed. High chance she gona kena counter-sue.....somemore church got lots of supporters & tons of money to play with her. [shakehead][shakehead][shakehead]

 

She'll have to go back india soon

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