Romanian judge demoted for witchcraft
Pastor Dale Morgan
Romanian judge demoted for witchcraft*
By Bojan Pancevski
Last Updated: 12:25am GMT 18/02/2007
Judge Elena Simionescu was accused of being a witch and of creating an
atmosphere of conflict during her term as a president of the court in
Vatra Dornei, a small town in eastern Romania.
She was alleged to have performed rituals involving splashing water, mud
and "other liquids", as well as salt and pepper, on fellow judges' desks
in what some saw as an attempt to bewitch them. The case raises
unsettling questions about the outlook of some within the judicial
system of one of the newest members of the European Union.
The allegations were made by court staff, judges and prosecutors, who
claimed that Judge Simionescu tried to cast spells on them. The judge
denied the accusations, telling investigators that her practices were in
accordance with the Christian faith. She said: "I splash my colleagues'
desks with holy water every day, in the spirit of good Christians' rituals."
But inspectors who investigated the complaint for the Superior
Magistracy Council, a judiciary watchdog, concluded that Judge
Simionescu used "unorthodox methods with her court colleagues and
maintained a constant tension by using occult practices and witchcraft".
The council relieved the judge of her position as court president and
reduced by 15 per cent her monthly salary of £660 for three months,
after hearing that she had also "misplaced" an important court document.
A local lawyer said: "She had many quarrels with people working in the
court. We were all convinced that she was casting spells. I can tell you
those people were terrified."
The council would not comment on its decision and Judge Simionescu could
not be contacted.