A group of seven women and children tortured and killed by priests during an exorcism ceremony was held in the Panama jungle.

Panama authorities said on Saturday that a new grave had been found containing seven people, including five children one year old and older, a pregnant mother and a 17-year-old girl, in the dense jungle of Ngabé Buglé. , inhabited by Panama's largest indigenous community.

Authorities said the victims were surrounded by about 10 priests, tortured, beaten, burned and used murderous machetes to "purify the sin".

The police were informed of this barbaric exorcism ceremony after three villagers escaped and went to the hospital for treatment. Local prosecutor Rafael Baloyes described the "chilling" scene that investigators had to witness after crossing the jungle to the indigenous community of Ngabé Buglé near the Caribbean on January 14.

They found the "church" set up temporarily on the farm, where the "New Light of God" sect operated, about 1.6 km from the grave where the victims were buried. The exorcism ceremony has been performed by priests since 11/1.

"They perform the ritual inside the 'church'. In that ritual, someone is held against the will and mistreated," Baloyes said, adding that the priests would kill them otherwise. error". Investigators found a naked woman with a machete and a sacrificial goat, Baloyes added.

According to Baloyes, one member of the sect believed that God had given the message that people must repent or die.

Police rescued 14 others tortured with sticks, saying one of the suspects was the grandfather of the babies killed. All victims and suspects belong to the same indigenous community.

Ngabé Buglé semi-autonomous region in Panama. Graphics: USA Today.

Ricardo Miranda, the leader of the Ngabé Buglé semi-autonomous region, called the sect "Satan" and went against the Christian faith in the region. "We request an immediate abolition of this Satanic sect, for violating Bible principles," Miranda said.

Ngabé Buglé is an indigenous community with a high incidence of poverty and illiteracy. The area was quite remote, forcing the government to mobilize helicopters to take the injured to hospital for treatment, including at least two pregnant women and some babies.