Perilous Times and The Rage of Demons
Trinidad- Tobago: 17 female students fell mysteriously ill and began
rolling on the ground, hissing and blabbering in a strange tongue,
after suffering bouts of nausea and headaches
'I asked the devil what he wanted with the girls and the voice said he
wanted a life'
--The Guardian, Trinidad and Tobago
Radhica Sookraj
Published: 11 Nov 2010
Panic after ‘Devil attack’ at school
17 Moruga students in hospital
TOP: Students of the Moruga Composite wait for transportation outside
the school’s compound yesterday.
ABOVE: One of the Pentecostal pastors leaves the school after he prayed
with the students yesterday. Photos: Rishi Ragoonath
Radhica Sookraj
Panic broke out at the Moruga Composite School yesterday as 17 female
students fell mysteriously ill and began rolling on the ground, hissing
and blabbering in a strange tongue, after suffering bouts of nausea and
headaches. Two of the students reportedly tried to throw themselves off
a railing and had to be physically restrained, triggering fears of a
possible demon attack. The drama started during the lunch hour in the
Form One block and quickly spread to other areas. Form Five student
Kern Mollineau, who attends the Lighthouse Tabernacle Church, said he
got worried when the girls’ eyes began rolling up in their heads and
they began beating up on the ground.
With the assistance of several other students and teachers, the pupils
were taken to the multi-purpose hall where some of them fell into a
semi-conscious state. Mollineau recalled: “One girl was blabbering as
if in a strange language. I could not understand what she was saying.
“It was sounding like ‘shebbaberbebeb shhhhee.’ The girls were
unusually strong. We had to hold them down so that they will not hurt
themselves. “The teachers were right there. I get a kick in my face
when one of the girls started beating up on the floor. Many of them had
bruises.” Mollineau claimed he actually communicated with the “devil
which had possessed the girl. “I asked the Devil what he wanted with
the girls and the voice said he wanted a life. He kept saying to send
the girls in the toilet and to leave them alone,” Mollineau claimed.
Roman Catholic priests, as well as pastors from nearby churches,
including Josephine Charles, Deborah Charles and Pastor Gordon, visited
the school and began showering the children with holy water and
prayers. Two more students, Kriston Mollineau and Kishon Bethel, said
they too were called by teachers to assist the ill girls. Kriston said
the girls complained of headaches and some of them wanted to go to the
toilet. Six ambulances arrived at the school accompanied by police
teams from the Moruga and St Mary’s Police Post. A party of fire
officers from the Princes Town Fire Station, led by acting Assistant
Divisional Fire Officer Ramdeo Boodoo visited the school and began
conducting several tests on the surroundings to determine the cause of
the problem.
Boodoo said there was nothing in the environment to trigger fainting
spells, nausea and headaches. A teacher, who requested anonymity, said
two weeks ago an Orisha woman came to the school and had a dispute with
a member of staff. He said following the dispute, the woman threatened
to deal with the school administration. Another teacher said the school
was built on a burial site, but neighbours who live around the school
denied that was so. A source at the school confirmed that all 17 pupils
were taken to the Princes Town Health Facility where they were
medically examined. The other students were sent home at 2 pm.
Responding yesterday, Minister in the Ministry of Education Clifton de
Coteau said he was aware that pupils had to be taken for medical
attention. De Coteau said Student Support Service officials were sent
to the school and students were expected to receive counselling. A
statement from the Ministry of Education said the Public Transport
Service Corporation (PTSC) made maxi taxis available to the school to
assist the Office for Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) which
provided additional ambulances.