GEIS-新闻详情

Taxi driver appears in court accused of leading starvation cult that killed 400

2024-02-18 00:00:00.0 独立报-世界新闻原网页

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email

{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 29 associates were charged on Tuesday with the murder of 191 children whose bodies were found among more than double that number buried in a forest.

The defendants all denied the charges brought before a court in the coastal town of Malindi. One suspect was found mentally unfit to stand trial.

Prosecutors say Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven before the world ended, in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history.

The followers of his Good News International Church lived in several secluded settlements in an 800-acre area within the Shakahola forest. More than 400 bodies were eventually exhumed.

Digged holes are seen after exhuming bodies at the mass-grave site in Shakahola, outside the coastal town of Malindi

" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/15/SEI187465707.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/15/SEI187465707.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/15/SEI187465707.jpg" data-gallery-length="2" class="i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content">

Digged holes are seen after exhuming bodies at the mass-grave site in Shakahola, outside the coastal town of Malindi

(AFP via Getty Images)

RECOMMENDED

David Cameron responds after Marjorie Taylor Greene tells him to ‘kiss my a**’

Undo

Alaska woman gets 99 years for orchestrating catfished murder-for-hire plot in friend's death

Undo

Voip | Search Ads

Goodbye Cell Phone, Hello VoIP. Why Everyone Is Switching To VoIPVoip | Search Ads| Sponsored Sponsored

Undo

PanzerQuest

If you have a mouse, this game will keep you awake all night long.PanzerQuest| Sponsored Sponsored

Undo

Mackenzie was arrested last April. He has already been charged with terrorism-related crimes, manslaughter and torture. He was also convicted in December of producing and distributing films without a licence and sentenced to 12 months in jail.

A former taxi driver, Mackenzie forbade cult members from sending their children to school and from going to hospital when they were ill, branding such institutions as Satanic, some of his followers said.

Mackenzie’s lawyer has said he is cooperating with the investigation into the deaths. The 30 defendants are due back in court on March 7 for a bond hearing, the judge said.

Promoted stories

Coolsculpting | Search ads

Singapore: Belly Fat Removal Without Surgery. The Cost Might Surprise YouCoolsculpting | Search ads

Undo

by Taboola by Taboola