Vision leads to Satanist coven

2003-10-30 21:32

Sarie van Niekerk

Nigel - The vision of a pastor has led to the gruesome find of a young girl's body in a suspected Satanist coven in an old mine ventilation shaft.

Police said the coven, in which several indications of Satanist activities were found, was discovered on Thursday last week. This comes after pastor Pieter de Beer of the Hope church had a vision in which he saw a snake slithering into a big hole.

"He followed the route as he saw it in his vision and found the old ventilation shaft of a defunct mine," said inspectors Johan Viljoen and George Stewart.

In the ventilation shaft, the officers and De Beer found the mutilated, naked body of a young girl. Paramedics estimated that she had died three months ago.

Her left foot and left hand had been cut off. The fingers of her right hand and toes of her right foot had also been severed.

Crossed animal bones, probably that of horses, had been stacked in a hexagon around the girl's body. A cross, made with two rib bones, was found on her back.

The shaft also contained burnt candles and several Satanist symbols had been drawn on the rock walls. Police found a small crystal with the dried claw of a bird on it.

According to the Satanist calendar, the period between July 20 and 27 is a time of sacrificial preparation. July 27 is the culmination of this sexual ritual and female sacrifice.

Viljoen and Swart claimed that one of the candles started burning spontaneously while they were conducting the investigation.

"We do not quite know what to make of it."

A 17-year-old girl was reported missing in the town on April 18. She has not yet been found.

- Beeld