The authorities of Panama reported on Thursday that a pregnant woman and her 5 minor children, in addition to another person, were allegedly killed and buried in a pit by members of an alleged religious sect acting in a remote indigenous area, and that the Massacre suspects are detained.
On Wednesday, local television reported that seven bodies were found in a pit located in a secluded area of the Ngäbe Buglé region, where 15 people were injured yesterday, injured and beaten, who were kidnapped by alleged members of a sect that subjected them to exorcist rites.
“The Public Ministry confirms the location of a grave with 7 bodies, corresponding to 6 minors of 1, 3, 9, 9, 11 and 17 years. In addition to an adult woman who was pregnant for approximately 4 to 6 months, mother of 5 of the minors, ”the court said in her Twitter account.
https://twitter.com/PGN_PANAMA/status/1217816378675253248
The timely intervention of the Special Forces of @protegeryservir, prevented another 15 people from being killed. These were rescued and sent to hospital centers.
https://twitter.com/PGN_PANAMA/status/1217816403346165760
The superior prosecutor of Bocas del Toro, Rafael Baloyes, said that the bodies found in the pit show clear signs of torture, and that among the detainees in this case there are relatives of the victims.
The Telemetro network reported that one of the alleged members of the sect allegedly murdered his daughter and her five minor grandchildren because they "did not want to convert."
The Prosecutor's Office has not given details of the seventh body, which according to some press reports, corresponds to a 17-year-old teenager.
On Wednesday it was reported that all the bodies were identified by their relatives and that they were in a state of decomposition.
The work of forensics has been arduous given that the pit is in a very remote place, with very difficult access in the middle of a humid jungle and near the Alto Terrón village, some of whose inhabitants guided the authorities there.
Local media have indicated that the alleged shepherds are indigenous from the same region, but it is not clear when or where the New Light of God sect arose.
These pastors are responsible for causing burns to three people last weekend in the same region during an alleged exorcism.
The commander of the National Police, Luis Vega, said Wednesday that in the indigenous village "many versions are handled" about what happened, one of which indicates that there were more than 30 people held by the alleged shepherds.