Spiritual
healing? tragedy?
Three
in custody over Wismar
woman's beating
death
By
Jaime Hall
AS
POLICE at Linden
continue their
investigations into the
circumstances
surrounding the death of
Faye Grenville, 43, of
28 Danjoo Hill, Wismar,
Linden, on Monday,
several days after being
in the care of
self-styled spiritual
healers in the bauxite
mining town, three
persons, including the
pastor, have been nabbed
and placed in custody.
Naitram
multilated body
Grenville
was pronounced dead on
arrival at the McKenzie
Hospital. Marks of
violence were found on
her body, which also
appeared to be
dehydrated, a hospital
source said.
A
member of the Holy Ghost
Movement, the church to
which Grenville
belonged, took her to
the hospital
A
relative of the deceased
told the Chronicle that
she was able to identify
the Grenville's body at
the Mckenzie Hospital
morgue. A post mortem
examination is due to be
conducted today.
The
Holy Ghost Movement
church building where
Faye Grenville was kept
before she died
The
Holy Ghost Movement was
formed less than six
months ago by breakaway
members of a Pentecostal
church in Linden.
Relatives
said Grenville had been
suffering nervous
breakdowns for many
years, and would from
time to time fall ill.
But her fellow Holy
Ghost Movement members
believed she was
possessed by evil
spirits, so they took
her to the church in an
effort to have the
devils cast out. It is
believed that the method
used to cast out the
evil spirits was what
led to Grenville 's
death.
The
home of Faye Grenville.
The
news of her demise
sparked outrage in the
neighbourhood. Some
neighbours said there
was some degree of
curiosity in the area
about Faye 's
condition,
but church members
reportedly did not allow
anyone in the area to
see her.
A
Cholmondely Hill
resident who lives
nearby said Grenville
was kept away even from
relatives, who also
confirmed that this was
so. "Nobody in the
area could go to see
her; they were hitting
her in the hands which
were tied up. She could
not get any water to
drink; when she asked
for water they said no.
They had her like a
prisoner in the place
and she was crying
steadily after they keep
beating her every
day." Grenville's
voice got ?weaker and
weaker day by day, the
resident recalled. And
that suggested that
something was going very
wrong.
It
was reported that
members of the church,
noticing that Grenville
appeared to be lifeless,
removed her from the
building and took her by
motorcar to McKenzie
hospital. "They
wrote her name and she
sister 's name on a piece
of paper and put it in
her hand and then left
her on a bench at the
hospital."
A
hospital source said
that at the time a
doctor at the hospital
saw Grenville lying on
the bench, she was
unaccompanied.
People
who live nearby
reportedly heard noises
from the building.
"I don't know what
they were trying to do,
said one,
but night and
day we heard her crying
out. They were beating
her with broom
and
telling the demon to
come out! come
out!
A
pastor from a
Pentecostal church in
Linden told Chronicle
the circumstances under
which the woman died,
after being in the care
of members of the Holy
Ghost Movement, does not
put the church in good
light. "This has
thrown a wet blanket on
the church...this is bad
testimony. John Public
knows that the
Pentecostal church prays
for people possessed
with evil spirits and
they get deliverance,
he said.
Grenville
leaves to mourn her
husband Sydney Grenville
and two daughters,
Althea and Alicia.
Monday,
June 23,
2003
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