In Kenya, a sect leader has been found guilty in the deaths of 190 children
A Kenyan court has found Christian preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 of his accomplices guilty of the murder of 190 children and one adult. The sentence to be imposed on them is expected to be announced on November 6.
Sect leader in Kenya found guilty in the deaths of 190 children
According to DW, a court in the city of Mombasa handed down this decision on October 19. The case is linked to the mass deaths of members of the "Good News International Church" religious group founded by Mackenzie.
Mackenzie urged followers of the organization he formed in 2003 to starve themselves to death to "meet Jesus." A large plot of land belonging to him near the resort of Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast, located in the Shakahola forest, became the center of the sect.
According to the report, Mackenzie imposed an extremely severe starvation regime on his followers. According to the order he set, children were to die first, followed by teenagers, women, and finally men. In some cases, children were deprived of food in front of their parents' eyes.
The preacher was arrested in April 2023 following complaints from human rights defenders. During the investigation, some members of the sect were saved, but numerous mass graves were found in the forest.
Forensic examinations showed that most of the children died of starvation. At the same time, deaths caused by suffocation and traumatic brain injuries were also identified.
Kenyan media called the event the "Shakahola forest massacre." The total number of sect victims could exceed 400 people. The court's current ruling was issued in a case concerning the deaths of 190 children and one adult.