An exorcist asked to bless a house its inhabitants feared was possessed by spirits did not sense anything out of the ordinary when he visited, he told a court on Wednesday.
“I didn’t see anyone else in the house nor did I hear movement,” said the priest, explaining that in his 15-year experience as an exorcist, paranormal activity rarely took place during exorcisms or the blessing of places.
“The only ‘paranormal’ activity I noticed was that as I was blessing the house and walked outside, there was nobody, but as soon as I went outside, something fell from the stairs - a broken clock,” Fr John Vella testified.
Fr Vella was testifying in the case of an 18-year-old man from Cospicua, whose name was banned under court order at his arraignment, and who is accused of rape, forcing his victims to perform sexual acts against their will, violent indecent assault, holding his victims against their will, forcing them to perform acts against their decency and slightly injuring them.
He is further accused of causing his girlfriend’s sister and her mother to fear violence and with participating in sexual activities with his 15-year-old girlfriend.
As the compilation of evidence continued on Wednesday, Fr Vella explained that he had noticed signs of destruction and breakage at the family home but he had not sensed paranormal activity.
“The mother… she was involved in the occult. She would communicate with spirits,” Fr Vella said. The mother herself had told him this, the priest explained.
The woman had admitted to using occult paraphernalia and to placing curses on people and had sought help, the exorcist said. “She showed a willingness to stop… she asked for help.”
“Everyone said the same, things would fly. Glass would break and voices would be heard. But this is what they told me… They also said the voices would order them to do bad things.”
“Do you exclude the presence of a spirit talking in a human voice?” asked lawyer Jason Azzopardi. “No,” replied the priest. “But in this case, I didn’t hear this.”
The case continues.
The court is presided over by magistrate Nadine Lia. Inspector Eman Hayman and Oriana Spiteri are prosecuting.