NAIROBI, Kenya – Doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 of his followers appeared in a Kenyan court in the coastal town of Malindi on Wednesday to face charges for the murder of 191 children.
Mackenzie and the other suspects did not plead guilty because High Court Judge Mugure Thande granted a request from prosecutors that they undergo mental evaluations and return to court on February 6.
The remains of 180 of the 191 dead children have not been identified, according to the prosecutor’s charge sheet.
Mackenzie and some of his followers have been blamed for the deaths of 429 members of his Good News International Church, many of whom are believed to have starved themselves in the belief that by doing so they would find Jesus Christ before the end of the world.
The bodies were discovered in dozens of shallow graves on a 320-hectare (800-acre) ranch in a remote area known as Shakahola Forest in coastal Kilifi county. The graves were found after police rescued 15 emaciated church members who told investigators Mackenzie had ordered them to fast to death before the end of the world. Four of the 15 died after being taken to a hospital.
Autopsies of some of the bodies found in the graves showed that they died of starvation, strangulation or asphyxiation.
Kenya’s top prosecutor said Monday that 95 people will be charged with murder, cruelty, child torture and other crimes.
Pastor Paul Mackenzie and his followers are accused of killing 191 children. AP
For months since the arrest of the accused last April, prosecutors have asked a Kilifi court for permission to remain held while the investigation continues. But last week, Chief Magistrate Yousuf Shikanda rejected their latest request to hold the suspects for a further 60 days, saying prosecutors had been given enough time to complete the investigation.
Mackenzie is serving a separate one-year prison sentence after being convicted of operating a film studio and producing films for his preaching without a valid license.
Mackenzie allegedly encouraged church members to move to the Shakahola Forest to prepare for the end of the world.
A Senate committee report said Mackenzie chose the area because of its remoteness.
“Once inside the villages established by Mackenzie, followers were not allowed to leave the area or interact within them,” the report says.
“Followers were asked to destroy vital documents, including national identity cards, birth certificates, property title certificates, academic certificates and marriage certificates,” which led to problems identifying the dead, according to the report.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn